For Those I'll Live For
by wolfleader26
Summary: Naruto with the choice of who raises him,picking Kakashi. Growing up with the kunai for the Hirashin. Living to make his parents both deceased and living proud. Training to protect his friends and family even after someone very close to him betrays him
1. Prologue

I don't own Naruto. Happy?

For Those I'll Live For

Prologue

Its night and the air is still, but eerie. The nine-tails fox, with its sharp teeth and claws, is bringing mass destruction upon Konoha, knocking aside ninja like ants. On a faraway rooftop stands the Third and Fourth Hokages, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and baby Naruto.

The group is huddled around the small child while they try to come to a decision about the dilemma at hand: Sealing the nine-tails into Naruto.

The Third speaks up. "Are you sure, Minato? I can do the sealing. I don't have many years left, you know!"

"Minato, the Third has a point," Kakashi agrees, wiping dirt off his knees as he stands up. "The village needs you."

Minato shakes his blonde head and looks at his blonde, blue-eyed child. "No. I've made up my mind. I just need all of you to buy me the time it takes to prepare things."

Jiraiya, the toad sage, places his large hand on Minato's shoulder reassuringly. "You're set in stone about this, aren't you?"

"Yes." Minato's voice is solidified with his decision.

Jiraiya closes his eyes and nods in understanding, his long hair blowing in the slight wind. "Alright. We will buy you the time you need, kid." He messes up Minato's already messy hair before they all disappear in a swirl of leaves, leaving the father and son alone.

"I'm sorry, Son. But how can I ask someone else to make a sacrifice that I wasn't very willing to make?" Minato watches at his son sadly.

Naruto stares at him silently, eyes wide and intelligent, taking in the world.

"Heh. Even as a baby, I can sense that you are strong-willed. I hope that, someday, you will be able to forgive me for what is about to happen." He smiles sadly at his beautiful baby boy.

He holds Naruto and the blonde duo disappears in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

The Fourth walks past the village walls with baby Naruto in his arms and summons Gamabunta. The humungous red toad was bigger than any building that was in Konoha.

Gamabunta speaks with a deep, raspy voice. "So, you're going to do it…?" His vest was blowing in the wind and he had his pipe ready for smoking.

Minato nods. "Yes. I have no other choice."

Gamabunta lights his pipe and nods towards the little one. "Is that him?"

"Yeah. He's a big guy, isn't he?"

Instead of admiring the mini blonde further, they both look off into the distance at the Nine-tails, which continued with no signs of fatigue that usually accompanied battles. It was almost midnight and the destruction had started hours ago. The forces were dwindling and the city becoming more and more broken. It seemed as if half of the village had already been destroyed in such a short time.

"This is going to be one for the history books," the large toad says, a slight bit of sadness, excitement, and fear in his voice becoming apparent.

Minato shakes his head. "Nah."

He pulls the pipe out of his mouth. "What do you mean?"

"This battle won't be something for history to remember. This will be the start of a new legend, one that this little one will be a piece of. Isn't that right, Naruto?" He looks at the toad with a twinge of sadness. "I just hope that all will learn to forgive what is to happen and grieve for the lost peacefully."

* * *

The Fourth continues to seal the nine-tailed fox into Naruto. It was a defeating, hour-long ceremony that literally drains the life from the sealer. Gamabunta carries the two, the Third, and Kakashi on his back. Minato lies next to his son, coughing up more and more blood as each minute passed. Kakashi and the Third sit next to the boys, unable to help much.

Minato turns toward his son. "Naruto, you should be seen as a hero in the village, though I fear there will be those who do not see you that way," he brushes his son's check softly. "You are the one who holds the demon back every day."

Kakashi looks sadly at the Fourth, his Sharingan and mouth uncovered for the battle. "Minato, your time in this world is not much longer… I will miss you, sensei." The silver-haired junin takes his mentor's hand in his own for a few minutes before letting it go.

"I will too, Minato," the Third says and smiles sadly. "You've cursed me to all that darned paperwork again." He slaps his predecessor's shoulder so lightly, that it could have been a feather brushing against it.

Minato laughs lightly, with as much soul a dying man could. "Funny as always, Sarutobi. Kakashi. I'll miss you too, you scarecrow."

Kakashi and Sarutobi laugh sadly at his attempt to keep the air light, despite the impending death awaiting him.

Minato reaches in his pocket, pulling out a necklace, and pulls a kunai out of his pouch. He runs the necklace through a hole at the bottom of his Hiraishin kunai and slowly reaches over to put the necklace around Naruto's neck.

He smiles at his baby boy. "So that, one day, you will figure out how to use it, and become Konoha's second yellow flash." He pets his child's blonde hair, slowly moving towards his cheek. "May it protect you when you need it most."

With those last words, the Fourth's hand slides from his son's face and whatever life that he had clung to had been drained from him. Tears flow from not only the tiny blonde's eyes, but also those of the Third and Kakashi, their cries matching in their intensity.

* * *

An hour later, a council meeting is held with all of Konoha's clans and civilians that had survived the attack in attendance. Almost all of those that had come were screaming for the death of the child held in the Third's arms.

"Enough! We must raise him and find a way for him to lead a happy life," the Third tells the crowd.

A middle-class civilian stands up and shouts rudely at the Third. "It's the nine-tails reborn! We should kill it now before it can escape!"

All those that had called for his death cheer for the idea.

"NO! This boy is to be seen as a hero! Or is there some of you who doubt the Fourth's skill as a seal master?"

There isn't so much as a cough or sneeze as the room was emptied of the shouts and cheers from before.

He asks the question, though he already knows what answers the others will supply him with. "Now. How will the boy be raised?"

The citizens answer his question quickly. "Make him and orphan!"

The Uchiha clan head, Fugaku, stands up and volunteers. "We Uchiha will take the boy in!"

"No," Sarutobi says sternly, quieting the entire room. "He will be placed into the orphanage until he is five years of age, then he can pick if he wants to be put into a clan. Whichever clan he will be placed will be up to him to choose."

The room begins to fill with whispers and quiets down once everybody agrees with the arrangement.

"Then the meeting is dismissed!"

Everybody exits the room quickly, leaving the Third alone with baby Naruto.

"I hope you will be accepted, my boy, but only time will tell of what is held in your future." Sarutobi walks out of the empty room with the child in hand.

**Please review! Any comments are very much appreciated! We hope you continue to read **


	2. Adoption Mayhem Pt1

"Blah" - Dialogue

'_Blah' – Thoughts_

"Blaaahhhh/_blah_' - Emphasis

For Those I'll Live For

Adoption Mayhem pt 1

Four Years Later

In the Hokage's office, the heads of Konoha's clans, Uchiha, Hyuga, and the Naras, all sit around the Hokage's desk. Kakashi Hatake and Guy Might stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the city that had finally finished repairs three years after the Kyuubi attack.

The Third Hokage stood up from his chair and addressed those that had appeared in his office. "Well, I'm glad all of you have shown up today. By your attendance, I assume that means you are all interested in adopting young Naruto Uzumaki. Correct?"

Everybody in the room agreed with either a nod or a yes, Guy giving an extra loud 'Yeah!'

Sarutobi nodded his head and started walking around the office, picking books off of shelves and putting them right back down. "Now, since there are so many of you, we will be taking Naruto out of the orphanage, and he will be given to each of you for the time period of one week each. Agreed?"

He stops and looks at all of the candidates as they agreed once again.

"Good. Now, what should the order be?"

Kakashi steps forward. "Hokage-sama, I would be honored to be the first to obtain Naruto."

Uchiha Fugaku, refusing to be stood up by the Jonin, hurriedly goes next. "Hokage-sama, the Uchiha clan would like to have week two with young Uzumaki-san."

After that, the list continued to be the Hyugas, Guy, and the Naras. They all departed their separate ways and would wait their turns with the four-year old.

* * *

Three hours later, the Third was at the Yoro Orphanage, where Naruto was staying. When Sarutobi walked into the small room, Naruto was sitting at the kiddy table by himself, as all the other kids feared him and the kyuubi he held inside of him.

Sarutobi kneeled next to the young blonde and ruffled his hair. "So, Naruto, how do you like it here?"

"It's not too bad… Though it's better when you visit!"

The Third chuckled. "Oh? Are you getting along with the other children?"

Naruto lowered his head and looked at his hands sadly. "Well, not exactly… They avoid me when I try to play with them… But it's okay!" He raised his head. "Because it gives me time to practice throwing kunai like a real ninja!"

The Third look sternly at Naruto. "You haven't been using the special kunai for practice, have you?"

He should his head vigorously. "No! It's too valuable to use for that! I found some left at a training ground one day."

The old man raises his eyebrow at the child. "So you left when you know you're not supposed to?"

Naruto shrinks into his seat, becoming eye-level with the table. "Maaaayyybe."

Sarutobi laughs. "Don't worry Naruto. I'm not here to punish you. I'm here to talk to you about something important."

The blonde, now excited, is sitting on the edge of his seat. "What is it?"

"Well, you see, Naruto, there are some people who want to adopt you."

He jumps up. "Really? Yay!"

The Third laughs at the boy's enthusiasm. "Calm down, calm down. You don't even know who wants to adopt you yet."

"That doesn't matter! Someone wants to adopt me! I might finally leave here! Are they rich? Are they ninja," He asks excitedly. "Oh! Is it a cool clan? Or is it some super famous ninja? Or-!"

"Well, actually, it's all of the above," the old man says, cutting him off.

The boy, who was practically bouncing off the walls, was now still and wide-eyed, staring at him. "Really?"

"Yes. There is a list of people, actually."

He was astonished. "A _list_? There's a _list_ of people?"

"Mhmm," Sarutobi replies calmly. "And since there are so many, you get to stay with them each a week and decide who you want to live with."

"Really? This is so awesome! I can't wait!" He cools his excitement a moment to ask a question. "When do I leave to meet them?"

"Tomorrow morning you'll be leaving to live at Kakashi Hatake's house, if that's alright with you."

"Who is that?"

"He's a famous ninja known as Copy Cat Kakashi. He knows over 1000 jutsu and was a student to the late Fourth Hokage."

"And he wants to adopt _me_?"

"Yes, he does."

"Holy shit!"

"Naruto! Where did you learn to speak like that," The Third asks, confused as to how he came to know such repulsive and rude words.

"Well, the caretaker said that when he saw my necklace…"

"It's not proper language for a young boy, Naruto. I don't want to hear it again," He scolded the young boy.

"I'm sorry…" The blonde pouted and looked at his feet in shame.

"It's okay. You didn't know. Just be careful from now on."

Naruto smiled and looked at the old man. "Gotcha!"

"Well, I must take my leave, Naruto. Are you going to be ready tomorrow?"

"You bet! Bye!" He hugs the man.

Sarutobi smiles and leaves Naruto alone. As soon as he is gone, all the other children walk up to him with looks of hate and condescendence on their small, chubby faces.

A boy, three years older than Naruto, walks over and pushes his shoulder, his two lackeys, a boy and girl, smirking. "What was that about, Loser?"

"Yeah, why did the Hokage come to see _you_, of all people," Lackey one asked.

"Because there are people who want to adopt me!"

The girl, who was two years older than himself, stepped up to the plate. "I bet they are slave traders and just want to sell the one little boy that nobody would miss." She turned her nose up and laughed.

Naruto, with clenched fists, shouted, "No! They are ninja!"

"Sure they are," the leader said.

The girl turned away from Naruto. "Come. Let's leave this loser alone. We have _better_ things to do."

The boy lackey turned and walked with the group, speaking a single, demeaning sentence. "Bye-bye, Slave Boy."

Naruto, left to his own thoughts, heads off to his room. _'What if they're right? What if I am just going to be sold off? Or worse! What if they just want someone to _be_ a slave to them! Please. No. Just. Please no.'_

* * *

The next day, Naruto stood outside the orphanage with the Third Hokage, waiting for his temporary foster parent.

Naruto kicked the dirt. "He's not coming, is he?"

Sarutobi placed a hand on the blonde's head reassuringly. "No, it's not that, Naruto. He just has a…. lateness problem, is all."

He wasn't completely convinced. "You sure?"

"Yes I am. Do you have all of your stuff ready to go?"

Naruto nods. "Yeah. I don't have much other than four outfits, and my kunai and necklace."

Kakashi shows up in a swirl of leaves in front of the two. Naruto, shocked at the appearance, stares in awe at the man.

"Sorry I'm late." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "You see what had happened was… You just want to add the lame excuse yourself?"

The Third shakes his head. "You're getting even lazier. Almost to a Nara's standards…"

"I'm not _that_ bad, am I?"

Naruto cuts into the conversation. "Hey Mister! How did you do that awesome swirly thing?" His eyes were wide with excitement and wonder.

"Hmmm," Kakashi thinks. "You know what? I don't know."

Naruto was confused. "What? How do you _not_ know?"

"Well, I've done it so often, it's just become second nature to me now."

The boy was still confused, but shrugs off the weird answer and moves on. "Oh… Can you teach me something cool like that?"

"Maybe."

Sarutobi intervened in the conversation. "I think you should be on your way now, Kakashi."

"Yeah, sure. Let's get going, Naruto."

They turn and Naruto starts to say something before Kakashi whisks them away in the swirl of leaves that he had arrived in.

The Third stared off into the sky and pulled out a smoking pipe. _'I wonder how this will go? Ha! I bet he comes in asking for an ANBU team to help control him one day.' _He chuckles to himself at the thought.

* * *

At Kakashi's, which was a typical house for a male ninja. From the first step, Naruto the living room was trashed. Clothes and pillows were strewn about the room and the only thing neat in that room was Kakashi's ninja tools and a couple of books that were placed upright on a shelf. Kakashi leads Naruto to his room, which also had ninja tools on the wall and a _huge_ bed in the corner of the room for him to sleep in. Nothing like his old, smelly, reused bed at the orphanage.

"Holy huge bed," Naruto shouts. "That's for _me_?"

A low grumbling sound comes from Kakashi. "Yup! But if you don't mind, I'm starving. Want to go to a place my old sensei loved to eat at?"

Naruto looks at the man, eyes shining. "You mean the fourth?" he asks excitedly.

"That's him. Now, are you interested?"

"Yeah!" Naruto was practically jumping up and down.

Kakashi laughs. "Ok. Let's get going then."

* * *

15 minutes later, the two had arrived at Ichiraku Ramen and Kakashi helped the four-year old onto the bar stool next to him.

"Sooo…. Have you ever had Ramen?"

"Nope!" When the cook, Teuchi, places a bowl in from of Naruto, the boy instantly starts to salivate at the concoction in front of him.

Kakashi shoves a pair of chopstick in front of Naruto's face. "Stop with the waterfalls and _eat_."

Nine, savagely eaten bowls and a stunned Kakashi later, Naruto finally finishes eating.

"You were right! That was amazing!" The child lets out a large burp that would typically only be heard from a larger man.

Kakashi stared at Naruto's tiny body in astonishment. "Where did it all go?"

"Where did what go?" Naruto tips his head to the side, not understanding.

"The Food! How did you eat all that food?" Kakashi was wide-eyed, and Teuchi was as well.

Naruto patted his stomach and belched again. "It was good, that's how!" He smiled big, all teeth showing.

Teuchi walks over to the two and starts grabbing the empty bowls. "Boy, if you eat like that all the time, you're going to be my best customer!"

"I bet," Kakashi murmurs under his breath. "Now, let's get going, Naruto. You ought to be tired by now." He pats the boy on the back.

Naruto hops from his stool and steps outside of the ramen stall. Kakashi pulls out paper and a pen and starts writing. He places it on the counter before Teuchi can see him and sneaks out of the stall after Naruto.

Teuchi turns around to find the two boys gone and a note in their place. "What the….? 'To be paid by the Hokage.'" Silence. "Kakashi!"

* * *

Walking down to street, heading back to home, Kakashi and Naruto bump into Guy Might.

"Kakashi! I see you're doing well with the young one," Guy says and slaps Kakashi's back.

Falling forward and catching himself, Kakashi replies, "Yes, we're doing fine." He stops to think for a moment. "Hey, Guy, aren't you watching Rock Lee this week?"

Guy nods and yells, "Yes, my enternal rival! I am watching my youthful comrade's son the entire week until his mother returns from her mission to Grass Country! Yosh!"

Kakashi stared at Guy for a moment before continuing. "I was wondering if you would want to go to a bar and let the boys keep each other company?"

"Going to a bar, such an unyouthful event! Why is my eternal rival so unyouthful? You fuel your flames of youthfulness!"

"I swear, if you say youthful one more time, I will Chidori you in the face. Then you won't look so… _youthful_. And think about it. There'll be girls. _Youthful_ girls."

Guy drifts off in his own imagination, creating a twinkle in his eyes. "What a youthful event!"

Kakashi smacks him in the face and leaves a sticker on his cheek. "Tomorrow, 8 pm. They'll stay at your place." He grabs a sleepy-eyed Naruto's hand and leaves without another word.

Guy reaches for his cheek and pulls off the sticker. It revealed a mini Kakashi, pulling his eyelid down like a child and a Chidori in hand. Across the sticker were the words "You've just been Chidoried. In the face."

Guy burst into the flames of "youth" and anger. "Very well, Kakashi! I accept your challenge!" He disappears in a millisecond and a puff of air.

* * *

Kakashi and Naruto reach home in no time.

Kakashi, worn out, turns to Naruto and asks, "You ready to go to bed, Naruto?"

Naruto shakes his head violently. "No! I'm wide awake! Show me something cool from that wall of shinobi tools!"

Kakashi brings down a sword that was very well kept up. Its blade was sharp and unstained. All the embroidery and stitching in the hilt, gold and turquoise thread forming series of loops around one another, remained unfrayed. On the end was a string looped through a whole put in the hilt. "This sword was one I got from an Iwa ninja during the war…. He was a jonin."

Naruto was marveling at the sword, eyes glossing over with admiration. "Amazing! Hey! Can you show me any cool ninja moves tomorrow?"

Kakashi thinks for a while, placing a hand on his chin and pacing a little while he does so. "Well, I suppose there isn't any harm in showing you how to tap into your chakra…"

"Sweet!" Naruto stops for a second. "Wait, what's chakra?"

"I'll explain that in the morning."

With that as the final decision, Naruto runs off to his room, curling underneath the large covers.

'_Yes! I get to learn how to tap into my charcoal! Wait, that's not right. Oh well. I'll be learning whatever it's called tomorrow!'_

Naruto falls asleep in the over-cushioned bed without changing his clothes.

Kakashi sits on the recliner by his bookshelf. _'He looks just like them. I wonder how tomorrow will go… I hope the Hokage won't mind it… Ah, oh well. Now where is my book?'_

He reads for only a few minutes before he falls asleep, with the book on his face serving as an echo wall and making his snoring seem even louder.

* * *

The next day, in the afternoon when sun is shining through all of the windows, Naruto runs into Kakashi's room, dodging the clothes, food, and trash. Naruto, seeing the ANBU mask hanging on the doorknob, puts it on and walks up to Kakashi. "Wake up! Wake up! Wakeupwakeupwakeup!"

Kakashi, being a well-trained ninja, was already up and in a fighting position. His hand had already reached in his pouch and pulled out a kunai, his other hand on the top of his alarm clock. Naruto takes off the mask and stares. "What're you doing?"

"Oh… Uhm… Sorry. It's habit." He puts his kunai back in the pouch and alarm clock back on the shelf.

"So, are you going to teach me how to use my charcoal today?"

"Chakra. And yes."

"Yay," Naruto yelled. He started circling Kakashi excitedly. "Where're we going to do this?"

Kakashi steps out of his room. "The front room will do just fine."

When he gets in the room, Kakashi sits on the couch, Naruto standing in the middle of the room, for distance.

"Ok now, Naruto. You make this hand seal. It's called the ram seal and you feel down in you until you feel the power inside you. Somewhere around in your stomach. When you feel it, you just pull it out like you would pull a rope."

"Okay!"

After only eight minutes, the blonde's face flashed a large smile. Kakashi was a bit surprised. _'No way he did it that soon.'_

Bluish whisps started to form and surround Naruto, growing bigger and bigger, eventually creating a blue storm. When it finally reached its epitome, it blew everything in the room back towards the walls. Papers were strewn about, kunai and swords laying on the ground, furniture overturned, and bookshelves laying on their sides. The couch that Kakashi was sitting on and been flipped back and turned around, so he was laying upside and facing Naruto. Some of the papers had stuck to him.

"What the HECK," Kakashi yells.

"Did… Did I do it?"

"Yes. You did, and boy, did you." Kakashi makes himself upright again and starts to survey the massacred room when his eyes catch the bookshelf, empty of books. "Naarrruuuttoo!"

Naruto, sensing the incoming danger, ducks, closes his eyes, and covers his head. He opened on eye and answered the jonin. "Yes, Kakashi?"

Kakashi shakes his head. "Nevermind. We're done working with chakra today. You're to help me clean this up."

Naruto pouts, but stands up and starts picking up papers. "Alright…"

After the room is put back into place, and cleaner than it had been when he had arrived the previous day, Naruto decided it was safe to talk. "So…. Did I do good?" He tilts his head questioningly.

Kakashi stares at Naruto with a bland expression for a moment before answering. "Other than obliterating my front room, yes. _Extremely_ good. For your age, I consider you a chakra _beast._"

Naruto jumps in the air, thrusting a fist up as well. "Yeah!" He starts to do a little happy dance, flailing his arms around madly.

Kakashi, finally showing emotion, smiles behind his many masks at the young boy. "Are you hungry?"

"_Ramen! Rameeeennnn!"_

"No! Uhmm… I mean, why don't we try something different?" _'After that humongous bill yesterday, Teuchi and the Hokage won't be too thrilled with me.'_

"Awe…. Alright." Naruto pouts.

"Sit at the table and wait while I prepare dinner." Naruto takes a seat and waits.

About twenty minutes later, a bowl of eel stir fry sit in front of Naruto, and he had a disgusted look on his face. "What is _this_?"

"It's eel. It's good for you. Eat it."

"No! It looks nasty! How is this stuff even edible?" The child pushes his bowl away.

"Hey, Naruto, you wanna hear a secret? It's cooked in sake!" Kakashi whispers like its super secret.

"Eh?" Grabbing his bowl instantly, he devours the entire bowl in just minutes. "That was delicious!" He belches. "Can I have more?"

Hesitantly, he grabs him another bowl, which was also devoured quickly. Kakashi removes his hand as quickly as possible to keep it from getting caught in the piranha's mouth. _'At the rate this kid eats, he's going to make me broke!'_

An hour later, Kakashi finishes his second bowl, while Naruto finishes his sixth.

"Are you done yet? Geez. You eat like a pig, kid!" The clock rings seven times. "Aw, crud. We gotta go. Sorry kid, you can't get any more helpings." Naruto, though he looked sad, was excited to know where they were headed.

**Please review so I know if I need to change/add anything! Hope you continue to read this story!**


	3. Adoption Mayhem Pt2

"Blah" - Dialogue

'_Blah' – Thoughts_

"Blaaahhhh/_blah_' - Emphasis

For Those I'll Live For

Adoption Mayhem Pt 2

It's dusk and the setting sun gives the town an orange tint. The sky, beautiful, is filled with purple, pink, orange, and blue, creating and awe-inspiring scene that couldn't be captured by even the best of painters. But Naruto and Kakashi are unable to admire the great sight before them, for people glare and whisper as they pass.

_"That's the boy…. He's the fox…. Why is he allowed to live...? Is Kakashi going to finish the job?"_

Kakashi smiles at the boy through his navy blue mask. "Don't mind them." Naruto nods his head and stares ahead strongly, though the fact that he clings to Kakashi for protection from those who pass shows that he's quite afraid.

They continued on, and after a few streets, Kakashi stops in front of a small house, that was decked out in training and camping equipment. He turns to Naruto, "Ok, Naruto, my friend Guy and I are going out for a couple hours. We are leaving you and the boy he is watching named Lee alone for a couple of hours. Are you going to be ok?"

"Yes!" Naruto is shaking in his skin with the excitement of having a new friend that is his own age to play with.

Kakashi approaches the door and knocks, waiting for somebody to answer. After a minute, Kakashi becomes impatient and grabs the handle. Upon opening the door, Guy lunges at the silver-haired jonin, executing a flying tackle, only to be dodged by his target. Guy hits the ground like a rock and tumbles around. Almost immediately, he jumps up, dirt-covered. "Just what you'd expect from my eternal rival!"

Kakashi turns and stares at Guy with a bored expression. "Did you say something?"

Guy gets angry and points his finger at Kakashi. "Darn you and your 'hip' attitude!" Guy notices Naruto behind Kakashi and changes his interest, forgetting his anger for his rival. "Ah! My young lad! You must be the little Naruto Uzumaki! Let's go in so you may meet your joyous companion for this evening!"

Guy leads his blonde- and silver-haired guests inside his humble abode, and searches for the little ball of excitement he was watching, Lee. Lee, who is a year older than Naruto, is wearing a green shirt with the Konoha symbol for fire on the back, and black shorts that matched his black hair. Sitting still, he is engaged in a staring contest with an odd and out-of-place training dummy.

Naruto walks up to Lee slowly. "What're you doing?" Lee remains still and doesn't answer him. After several more attempts to get the boy's attention, he finally gets a physical response from Lee. The boy jumped, finally realizing that there were three people in the room that weren't there before.

"Whoa," Lee yells in a surprised voice. "When did you three get in here?"

Guy looks at the energetic young boy with a smile. "My youthful rival here just arrived with young Naruto. He is going to be the one to keep you company while me and my rival go out in search for youthful counterparts for the evening!"

Lee walks over to the smiling blonde. "Naruto? Let this evening be a testament to our youthful flames!"

Kakashi and Naruto's jaws drop to the floor. Lee is a crazy clone of Guy, in attitude. Naruto looks as Kakashi with pleading eyes. "Please tell me that all people aren't this weird…"

Kakashi shook his head and sighed. "No, Naruto. It's just the ones who do meth."

Naruto cocked his head to one side. "Meth?"

Kakashi laughs at himself, knowing that the little child wouldn't know what 'meth' was. To keep the boy from pestering him in the future, he gave an answer. "It's a heck of a drug, Naruto. Stay away from it."

Naruto nods his head quickly in understanding, agreeing to stay away from whatever this 'meth' was that Kakashi spoke of. If it had caused two people to be so insane, it had to be bad stuff.

"Well, Guy, we should get going before it gets too late," Kakashi says as he heads for the door.

Guy agrees with him and they leave the two toddlers alone for a while. Guy set their guidelines, having told them that food is in the fridge if they wanted it and not to be 'youthful' in the house while they were gone. Kakashi warned Naruto not to pick up any habits from Lee.

* * *

Naruto sits on the couch, watching Lee walk around the room. Lee's circling path starts making Naruto dizzy. Thinking of what he could do to stop the other boy's motion from making him sick, Naruto finally comes up with an idea. "Hey, Lee! Let's play tag!" With a sparkle in his eye, the mushroom-haired boy hurriedly accepts, but only if Naruto is "it" first.

Naruto shoots up, chasing after the other boy. Lee turns into nothing but a green blur at the site of Naruto chasing after him. The boys ran at amazing speeds for young children, jumping off of walls and destroying objects in their paths. Bookshelves start falling apart, their contents hitting the floor. Chairs and tables become flipped and turned over in the attempt to catch the new friend.

Eventually, the chase leads into the kitchen. It was a small space, as Lee soon realized. He runs into the stove, causing Naruto to catch up and tag him, zooming off immediately. Lee is off in hot pursuit of the young blonde in less than a second, neither of the boys noticing the hissing sound that was left in their wake.

After an hour of chasing one another and obliterating Guy's apartment with their game of tag, the two try to clean up the place out of guilt. After a while, Naruto stops to ask Lee a question.

"Hey, Lee, do you smell something stinky?"

Lee lifts his head and sniffs the air, forming a repugnant face from the smell. "Yeah! It's gross!" After a few minutes of thinking, Lee runs off to get a candle and match. "Let's light this candle to make the smell go away!"

Naruto agrees with the idea. Lee lights the cinnamon-scented candle and sets it on the table. The boys grow tired from having run around so much and decide to get pillow from Lee's room. Almost as soon as they walk into the room, they hear a loud **_boom _**from the front room. Smoke was seeping into the room everywhere behind them. The two, scared, run out of the fire-engulfed building, screaming their heads off.

* * *

Kakashi and Guy are at the bar, having a good old time.

Kakashi is drunk, having single-handedly finished off a full bottle of Sake by himself. Guy is drinking liquor made of plums, causing the drunken ninja to make fun of him for being such a health nut, even while drinking. After forty minutes of guzzling down alcohol, the two set their sights on a pair of women at the back of the bar.

One of the women, the one with purple hair that was in a pony tail, looks strong and boyish, yet sexy. Her top consists of a fish-net shirt and a long beige jacket. Her bottom is just a short beige skirt and her ninja headband is tied just above her light brown eyes that were friendly and welcoming.

Her friend, who had long raven-black hair pulled partly back, is more feminine, and even more mysterious. This woman has midnight-blue eyes that seem to swallow one whole. She has a brown, sleeveless top on which was frayed around the shoulders and a short black skirt, with black fishnets that stopped just above the knee. In between her knee and the bottom of her skirt was her headband.

Kakashi, drunk out of his mind from excessive drinking, stumbles his way over to the two women. After making the dangerous trek to the pair, he sits at their table. "Well, hewwo there cuties… My name is," he hiccups, "Kawashi! The great copy cat ninjwa!" He notices he was talking to Anko. "Oh, itz yew Ankooo… You know, you look different fwom a distanccccee."

Anko takes a swipe at Kakashi's face, somehow missing the drunken idiot, and Guy walks over with his plum liquor in hand. "Why, hello, my youthful ladies! AH! Anko! I see your flame burns bright with Kakashi over here! Hmmm… I haven't seen you here, miss. What's your name?"

The young girl looked at Guy with a slight blush, but it could have been mistaken with her over-drinking. "Amaya Nariko… Nice to meet you…."

Guy smiles, using his infamous pose where light rays come off his teeth. "Guy Might! Konoha's most youthful ninja! Yosh!" The young lady laughs at the odd one's antics.

But as Guy was getting to know his 'youthful' new friend, a masked ANBU member, one in an owl mask, appeared behind Guy. "Guy Might, I regret to inform you, but it seems that your house has been destroyed in a fire this evening."

Guy and Kakashi's smiles disappear instantly as they sober up and the realization strikes them that their young wards were in the house that was stated to have been destroyed. At the same time, they both yell.

"Naruto!"

"Lee!"

The pair storm out of the bar in such a haste that people and furniture were knocked around carelessly.

* * *

Naruto and Lee had were down a dark alley away from the flaming house.

The pair finally stop running, out of breath and red-faced from exertion of running from danger. Lee looks at his newfound friend, worried because the blonde boy seems even more stressed than himself, even though it wasn't his own house. "Naruto, what's the matter?"

Naruto, shaking head-to-toe in fear, looks at his companion with terrified eyes. "Kakashi will be mad at me!" Tears start to roll from his ocean-blue eyes, freely flowing down his cheeks. "I finally get the change to get adopted! And I BLOW UP HIS FRIEND'S HOUSE! Not to mention I nearly blew up his own this morning! He is going to send me back and tell everyone else that I'm a bad kid! No one will want me after this! I'm going to be thrown back into the dark loneliness again!" Naruto starts to sob deeply, completely distraught, and Lee takes him into a hug.

"You have me as a friend now, Naruto. How can you be lonely anymore?" Lee speaks truthfully.

Naruto looks at him, despair and doubt still in his eyes. "You can't mean it, Lee. Even after what happened?"

"Yosh! Guy has taught me to never give up on such a youthful person such as yourself, Naruto!"

Naruto laughed at the green clad boy, wiping away the tears that stained his face only seconds ago. Walking out of the alley, the two wonder what is going to happen next in their eventful day. They didn't have to wait long, for a worried Kakashi and Guy are rushing full force down the street, one screaming about 'Youthful flames not being put out so early,' and the other about 'Crazy ass blondes getting into danger.'

* * *

Kakashi and Guy skid to a halted stop as they see two small children walking out of an alley. Kakashi stops too fast, with too much liquor in his system, and falls over, causing Guy to trip over him and fall as well. The boys run over to the older men who have been reacquainted with the ground.

Naruto starts to tear up again, looking at the two older men. "Guy! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to blow up your house! It's all my fault! I'm so sorry!" Naruto clings to the man as he tries getting up, soaking his clothing with his waterfall of tears. "I didn't mean to! It was an accident! We were playing tag is all! Now no one will want me, will they?"

Kakashi and Guy watch the little boy, torn up over his act, and are on the verge of tears themselves, both of their hearts going out to him. Such a fear of being alone could only come from being alone for so long with no one to lean on. Guy pats Naruto on the head in condolence. "No worries, Naruto. It was an accident. And I'm sure Kakashi won't hold that against you. Isn't that right, my eternal rival?"

Kakashi's head was lolling in a circle, staring into the empty sky. "Make it stop spiiinniiiing." Everybody laughs at the drunken stupor of the older ninja.

* * *

All those who had wanted to adopt Naruto assemble in the council meeting room. Each person has their own air or activity. The Nara clan head is sleeping, his head nodding a little. Uchiha is looking smug, as usual. Hyuga was looking proper, as they teach their clan to be. Guy, standing at attention, looks much like a statue. Kakashi is in the corner, reading a copy of 'Icha Icha Paradise.' The Third Hokage was sitting before them all, his chin placed on his intertwined hands.

The Third stands up, addressing those in the room. "This meeting was called for by the Uchiha over the recent incident at Guy Might's house earlier today. Please speak now, Fugaku Uchiha."

The Uchiha clan head stood up and spoke in a commandingly firm voice, a deep voice that seems to run into the bones of others. "With the events at Guy Might's house, we, the Uchiha, would like to revoke our offer to adopt young Naruto Uzumaki."

Sarutobi takes a drag on his pipe before asking somberly, "Do any others feel the same?"

All but Kakashi and Guy raise their hands, including the sleeping Nara. Sarutobi notices this. _'Geez… They are getting lazier with each generation! Now they can even listen and answer while sleeping!'_

"Guy, you're _house_ was _blown up_," the Hyuga clan head points out, causing Guy to raise his hand as well.

Sarutobi sees that only the scarecrow in the group did not raise his hand. "So only Kakashi Hatake would like to adopt Naruto? Well, if Naruto agrees to this, then Naruto will be left in your care, Kakashi."

Kakashi smiles at the Third before poofing away and back in less than thirty seconds, using shushin no jutsu. He had Naruto in tow upon his return. Naruto looks around at everyone and spots the Third. "Hey Old Man!"

Sarutobi smiles at the boy and ruffles his blonde hair before taking a step back and kneeling down to the four-year olds eye level. "So, Naruto," he starts. "How would you like to be adopted by Kakashi?"

The smile that takes over his face seemed way too big for it face and like it should break in two. "Yes!" It was all the boy could muster up in his shocked stage. Sarutobi grins widely at the child. "Well then. It's settled. Naruto Uzumaki is to be left in the care of Kakashi Hatake. Dismissed."

Kakashi and Naruto are the first to leave, Kakashi whisking them halfway home and keeping quiet the rest of the way, letting Naruto soak in what had just happened and explore his own thoughts.

_'I… I have a family now! Kakashi is my foster father!'_ His eyes start to produce tears yet again, but he holds them back. They all disappear once he reaches this next thought. _'I can ask him all kinds of things about ninja and become the best of all! I can even ask him about that necklace with the kunai on it…' _

As he explored these thoughts, he became weary and exhausted from the day's events. He was practically a zombie when they got home and Kakashi had to carry the young blonde the rest of the way to his bed.

**Please review! Anything you have to say is very much appreciated, as well as your continued reading. ;)**


	4. S Rank Assassination

"Blah" - Dialogue

'_Blah' – Thoughts_

"Blaaahhhh/_blah_' - Emphasis

For Those I'll Live For

S-Rank Assassination

One year and four months after the incident where Guy's house was destroyed in an explosion…

Sarutobi sits in his office, wondering if letting Naruto get adopted, especially a full year earlier than originally planned, was the best idea. Danzo was avid in his attempt to recruit the boy, seeing as he might never be happy, even with a parent figure.

He lights his pipe and walks over to the window, looking over the town as if it would be able to ease away these thoughts.

Every day, there was a new request to have the boy killed, or exterminated, as some of the crueler villagers chose to say. Whether it was a secret request such as an assassination, or an open request, which called for a public killing, used as a show for the villagers, the fact that so many people wanted the child dead made the man sick and disgusted.

Sarutobi continues to look over the town that he was becoming less patient with, the more they asked for Naruto's death. _'Will you ever get the respect you deserve, Naruto?' _There is a knock at the door. "Come in," he answers the person.

Kakashi strolls in, his book glued in front of his face. "Hokage-sama, I need to ask a favor of you."

Sarutobi is instantly curious, seeing as the jonin before him has never before asked for a favor, or even assistance from another. "What do you need, Kakashi?"

The silver-haired ninja never looks up from his book and answers in a monotone, preoccupied voice. "Well, you see, I really need two things… One, I need a high paying mission to do since Naruto eats more than an entire squadron of ninja. Two, I need a babysitter to watch him while I'm gone on the mission."

Sarutobi cocks an eyebrow at the requests, showing his curiosity. "Kakashi, giving you a mission is easy. Buy why didn't you just file for a D-rank mission?"

Kakashi turns a page in his book, giggles at the turn of events in his story before snapping it shut and putting it away in his pouch. He looks in the Third's eyes, seriousness having taken over. "Because the Kyuubi festival is so soon, that if my mission took over the time needed for me to get back here, he will need more than a genin to protect him."

Sarutobi nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. He picks up a couple of scrolls and searches through them. Eventually finding what he wanted, he tosses one to Kakashi. "There is a high-paying S-rank assassination. It's in Cloud Country. You won't be back in time for the festival, so I will assign a jonin to guard the boy. Is that alright with you, Kakashi?"

Kakashi opens the scroll, reads it, and nods at his aged leader. On his way out of the Hokage's office, Kakashi bumps into Iruka, the ninja academy teacher. "Hey there, Iruka."

Iruka looks at Kakashi for a few seconds, trying to register who the silver-haired shinobi before him was. "Oh! Hey, Kakashi. Haven't seen you in quite some time. What've you been up to?"

"Not much. Just adopted a kid who blew up Guy's house," he says nonchalantly. "You know. The normal stuff." Kakashi was smiling, but the only thing that showed this was his one, uncovered eye.

Iruka falls to the floor in shock and shakily gets back up. "That's not the 'normal' stuff!"

"Eh, if you say so," he shrugs. "See ya." Kakashi waves as he passes Iruka and disappears, leaving the academy teacher grumbling about oddball ninja.

* * *

Kakashi arrives at his home, scattering the usual swirl of leaves about. He sneaks into his own house carefully and silently, in search of the newest member of his family. He looks in all rooms of the house and makes his way to the backyard, where he finds his unsuspecting blonde victim throwing kunai at a target. Sneaking up behind the child, getting as close as possible, he whispers in his ear, "Boo."

Naruto jumps up, air born for a good few seconds, and screams like a little girl, scared as heck from his adopted father's joke. He falls in a weird way, twisting around so he's facing Kakashi when he hits the ground. "What the HECK! Why did you do that?"

Kakashi stands up straight, moving his hand to his chin to make it look like he's thinking, before stating, "Because I can."

He helps the small boy up. "Naruto, I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a mission and won't be back until sometime on the 12th."

Naruto looks up at him with saddened blue eyes. "You're going to miss my birthday?"

Kakashi flinches at his statement, remembering last year's event. On his birthday, when he tried to venture outside, he was chased back inside by the neighbor's kids, and even some of the neighbor's themselves. "Don't worry, I talked to the Hokage and he is going to have a jonin come and watch you while I'm gone."

Naruto becomes less tense, visibly relaxing with the knowledge that he would be protected by someone as strong as his adopted father while he was gone. "Do you know who it is, Otou-san?"

Kakashi shook his head with a small smile on his face. He loves the fact that his sensei's son considered him a father. "No, but I'm sure that he will protect you with his all if something happens, plus you can defend yourself with all the training you've been making me give you," he chuckles lightly.

Naruto laughs and smiles, showing his teeth, except for the one that had fallen out recently. The training had been Kakashi's idea. His reasoning was that if he wanted to be a great ninja, then he might as well start now, though Naruto definitely wasn't complaining about it. He actually loves training and complains about Kakashi becoming tired before him. "I know, Otou-san! I've even been practicing my kunai throwing while you are gone!" Naruto's smile beam was set on high.

Kakashi looks at the target that was hung on a tree trunk. They were all perfect bulls-eyes, a total of thirteen kunai packed into the small, red center ring. "Naruto, I don't think you need to practice with kunai for a while, but why are you so bent on being great with those?"

Naruto picked up the three-pronged kunai he wore as a necklace charm every day. "Because the Fourth Hokage gave me this when I was a baby! I want to be able to use it when I get older. It _is_ a kunai, so I thought I should be skilled in using them!"

Kakashi started at the young boy before smiling. "Well, you'll be happy to know that you can go to the ninja academy start next term." The blonde boy's yells of happiness nearly deafen the jonin.

The rest of the night was routine for the two. Naruto eats around four times as much as Kakashi and practices moving chakra to different parts of his body while Kakashi reads, then they go straight to bed.

* * *

Kakashi wakes up early, getting ready for his mission. He grabs his ninjato and mask, stopping in the front room to write Naruto a note for when he gets up. He creeps out of the house silently, as to make sure that he doesn't wake the young lad. As soon as he is out of the door, he is heading for Konoha's exit and Cloud Country.

* * *

Naruto wakes up earlier than usual and sits up. Wiping the sleep out of his eyes, he uncovers himself and jumps down from his bed, walking into the front room to find his father. Upon entering the room, he sees a piece of paper on the table and picks it up.

'_Naruto,_

_I know you probably forgot that I was leaving for a mission today, so there is food in the fridge for you. And remember to be polite to whoever has the… pleasure… to take care of you while I'm gone.'_

Naruto laughs slightly at how his father worded his letter. Ever since he made the last sitter leave screaming because his constant questioning drove them to the edge, Kakashi always joked about how Naruto was so unruly.

Naruto decides that he could try reading more about chakra and its uses again. Even though he doesn't understand most of what the books said, he still makes attempts to copy it.

Around two in the afternoon, a man sporting a Konoha headband showed up at the door, his five and half feet towering over the three foot, four inch tall Naruto. He has scars all over his face and wears a standard vest that chunin and up wore, and shinobi pants. His black, soulless eyes seemed emotionless.

Naruto greets the man and lets him in. The man looks around the house and then asks Naruto what he normally does during the day. After Naruto showed him around the house and told him all about his daily routine, the older man simply followed Naruto around with the empty look he had since Naruto opened the door.

The week until his birthday was just like the others before it. Minus his father and add the ever-silent shinobi that watched his every move. But the day of the Kyuubi attack, on Naruto's birthday, the shinobi starts to act weird. That day, he starts staring daggers at Naruto, whether he was watching or not, though that was only one of the many things he did.

Just past seven in the evening, right before the night festival, Naruto is in the front room when he witnesses whatever it is that holds the man together snap, the killer intent rolling off of him strongly. Naruto starts to feel extremely uncomfortable around the man. Her turns away from him and follows his compulsion to ask, "Why are you acting so weird?"

The man gives no reply.

Before he even notices that the man moves or that he is in harm's way, he already has a kunai sinking deep into Naruto's arm, the excruciating pain causing the boy to cry out. The older man speaks no words as he grabs Naruto by his hair and tosses him into a corner with little effort.

Naruto whimpers from pain. "Stop! Please stop it!" The man starts to walk towards him, and he knows that he has to do something, that he has to keep the man away from him.

Naruto, thinking quickly, grabs the kunai out his arm and hurls it at his assailant as hard as he can, attempting to stop his approach. The black-eyed ninja didn't even move as the kunai sliced into his arm like it did Naruto's.

It took a second for it to set in that the monster before him had harmed him. The man felt the need, after a week of silence, to finally speak. "You damned monster! How dare you even _think_ about attacking me?"

Naruto is scared out of his mind and makes a mad dash towards the front door, hoping to get away, but the older ninja is too fast and blocks his path out, kicking his ribs and ramming him into the opposite wall. "You're not getting away that easily you demon."

Naruto lays there, eyes tearing up from the pain, but fighting them off so at least his attacker doesn't get the satisfaction of his pain.

"I'm going to do to you what you did to this whole village," he threatens. The deranged man pulls out a roll of ninja wire and two kunai. "You're going to feel the pain that you've cause all of us."

"What did I do," Naruto cries out. "I haven't done anything!"

The man moves to Naruto, who is lying on the ground, unable to move. Picking him up by his hair once again, the ninja drops him into a chair and ties him to it, easily overpowering the small, weak child.

"No! Please don't hurt me," Naruto pleads with the man. "I didn't do anything wrong! I've been good!"

The man ignores his cries and laughs at him. "You've done more than you think, boy." He takes a kunai to Naruto's face, slowly making a long, painful cut on his cheek. "You even have whiskers!" Another slice donned the boy's face from cheek to jaw.

"They're birth marks," Naruto yelled at the man with soulless eyes, only to get laughed at again while the man searched for something that Naruto could only guess would hurt like hell when he found it.

"Ah! My favorite thing to do to… prisoners…" Pulling a salt shaker out of the kitchen, he pours a handful of salt into his plan, proceeding to smear it into the cuts on Naruto's face, resulting in a tortured scream from the five year old. "Yes, Demon! Scream! Scream like my family did! Like _I_ did," yelled the man as he took his kunai across the boy's shoulder and chest. Naruto cried out in pain once again, tears flowing freely from his innocent, ocean-blue eyes. "DON'T YOU DARE CRY THOSE FAKE TEARS! YOU MAY PRETEND ALL YOU WANT, BUT YOU AREN'T HUMAN! YOU'RE A DAMN DEMON!"

* * *

The man continues to slice wildly at the helpless boy for the next twenty minutes, Naruto screaming in protest at each and every slash. His original wounds that the man had caused were almost completely healed, fueling the mad man's beliefs that he was indeed a demon. After untying the boy, he grabs the back of his neck and drags him into the back to finish him off. Hearing the scraping sound of metal being dragged, the man looks down to see Naruto's necklace broken, but the Fourth's kunai trapped underneath the boy's limp leg.

Refueled even further with rage at the sight of the 'demon' with the Fourth's own weapon, he tosses the ragdoll-like boy to the side, Naruto's head hitting the door trim. Picking up the Fourth's kunai, the man turns to Naruto. "How dare you have this? Since the Fourth couldn't finish it, I guess I will for him." The man drags Naruto by the hair to the target that is tied to the tree that Naruto uses so often. "Guess this is the end of the demon of Konoha." Laughing hysterically, the insane ninja throws the kunai with unbelievable force, aiming for the young boy's heart.

His aim is slightly off, though, and hits his victim in the ribcage, getting stuck there. "Looks like you're lucky, brat. But next time I won't throw it." He walks towards his captive, stumbling a little and laughing maniacally. Naruto starts to panic. He didn't want to die! _'Otou-san! Help me!'_ The kunai in his ribcage begins glowing slowly and Naruto disappears in a bright yellow flash.

* * *

Sarutobi is turning the doorknob to his office to, planning on visiting Naruto, when he sees a bright flash. Turning around, he sees a bleeding and battered Naruto on his floor. The shock of seeing the boy in such a state caused him to freeze for a moment. After he thawed, he yelled for his ANBU guard. "Get this boy to the hospital _NOW!_" As soon as he made sure that the boy was on his way to be treated, he called for a second ANBU guard. "Get Kaori in here and detained RIGHT NOW," the old man growled fiercely.

The ANBU member is gone in seconds, vanishing in a swirl of leaves, leaving Sarutobi to think to himself. _'Naruto, please be ok… Kaori, if I find out you did this, your head will be posted in the center of the village.' _With that thought finally out, the old man takes off, heading for the hospital and wanting to see the young boy the second he was cleared to be seen.

**We still ask that you review! Please do! We're starving for your comments, thoughts, and opinions! We hope you continue your faithful reading as well! ^_^**


	5. Sunset no jutsu!

"Blah" - Dialogue

'_Blah' – Thoughts_

"Blaaahhhh/_blah_' - Emphasis

**Thanks for being the first person to review this story hitsugayatoshirou1220**

**And thank you too XxSinfulSammixX for being the second person.**

**It is very much appreciated!**

For Those I'll Live For

Sunset no Jutsu!

_**Drip. Drip. Drip.**__'Kami, can someone stop that annoying dripping? Where am I anyway? And why is it so… white…' _Naruto struggles to sit up. Looking around the bleach white room, he notices various machines to the left of him, pressed against the wall with some wires stretching over to him, connected to several points on his body.

On his observation of the room, he also sees a young woman, dressed in a white outfit, walking to the door to leave his room. "Hey…" His voice is almost a whisper, much weaker than he intends it to be, but getting the lady's attention nonetheless.

"Oh. You're awake already? I'll notify the doctor." The woman scurries to the door and shuts it quietly on her way out.

'_So… I'm in a hospital… How did I end up here?'_ All the memories of the ninja sent to be his watcher and his attack come flooding back to him much too quickly, giving him a slight headache. _'That man! Wait… How did I get away?'_ His thoughts are pushed to the back of his mind as the doctor strolls in.

"Looks like you really _are_ awake. You gave us quite the scare, you know." The doctor walks over to him to make sure that he is alright. "Do you know what happened to you to get here?"

Naruto nods slowly. "Yes. I remember it…"

The doctor nods back. "Good, good. The Hokage wanted us to make sure if you did or not."

* * *

Sarutobi is sitting his office, awaiting any news on Naruto. It has been days since the boy was admitted. The paperwork that the Third has been too stressed out to do is starting to pile up on his desk. _'Wake up already, Naruto…' _

He barely notices as an ANBU guard appears behind him. "Hokage-sama, Uzumaki-san has woken up," the member announces. Sarutobi nods towards his nin and leaves for the hospital yet again.

The nurse, who Naruto finds out to be named Noriko, is ready to strangle to small boy from his usual, never-ending questions. From the second he is up, the questions start flowing endlessly about things with no specific range, as nurse Noriko had found out.

A door slides open and the Hokage enters the room, smiling at the two people. "You may go, Noriko-san. I'll let one of the staff know that you left."

Noriko bows and shuffles towards the door, and is heard muttering to herself before she leaves. "Thank Kami…"

The Third looks over to Naruto with a smile on his face. "You haven't been torturing people, have you Naruto?"

Naruto is trying to hold back the smile that is threatening to break free. "Me? Neeeever." He starts giggling a little.

The Hokage takes a more serious turn in his facial expression as he prepares to move onto heavier subjects. "Naruto, do you know why you're here right now?"

Naruto's smile slides off of his face faster that he had flashed into the Third's office. "Yes," he answers without looking the man in the eye.

Sarutobi lets out a sigh and shakes his head. "Well, Naruto, I'm sorry about having to ask you this, but you're going to have to tell me what happened that night."

Naruto begins to shake slightly and the old man places a palm on the small of his back for emotional support. After he tells him exactly what happened, his eyes start taking on a vacant, emotionless look, as if he is reliving the whole ordeal. When the information is passed on, Naruto looks at the Third with a questioning look. "How long have I been asleep, anyway?"

"You've been unconscious for two days," Sarutobi replies.

"Oh," he says before moving on to ask yet another question. "Is my Otou-san back yet?"

Sarutobi shakes his head and Naruto looks down trodden, his hope slowly slithering away. "But he is coming home today, you know." Naruto's expression lightens a little as this news, but he wouldn't be completely relieved until he saw his father again.

Naruto hopes that his father comes home soon. He misses him deeply, and after what happened, he never wanted him to leave again. A thought pops into Naruto's head, causing him to shiver. "What's going to happen to the man?"

Sarutobi has a grim a look as before Naruto told his story. "We caught him, but he is awaiting trial." When he sees the small boy's expression of worry and fear, he says, "Don't worry. He can't get to you anymore."

Naruto sighs and sits back, he realizes, for the first time since he had woken up. He watches Sarutobi, ready to ask another question, but before he can do so, the Third speaks up. "Naruto, I'm truly sorry for what happened… I thought he was loyal enough and that I wouldn't have to worry about him attacking you…" The look in his eyes was that of despair and sadness, as if he was the one to experience the attack. "If I had been more careful… _more cautious_… you wouldn't be here…"

Naruto laughs slightly, startling the sad look right off of the Hokage's face. "It's okay, Hokage-jiji," Naruto tells him with a fox-like smile. "But how did I get away alive?"

Sarutobi looks at the boy with a quirked eyebrow. _'How could he use such a difficult jutsu and not know he did it?' _"You really don't remember, Naruto?"

"Nope! Not at all." Naruto's expression switches from that of a smile to that of confusion. "Should I?"

Sarutobi laughs at the boy and lifts Naruto's three-pronged kunai from the bedside table. "You did something no one else can. You used the Fourth's technique, the Hiraishin."

Naruto's eyes nearly jump out of his head at this statement. "Really?" The boy looks as if he wants to get up and run around, which he was probably able to do.

The old man continues to laugh at the child. "Yes, you did! Though it's even more shocking knowing that you don't know how you did it."

Naruto grins back at the man who he thought of as a grandfather. "I'm just as awesome as Otou-san!"

* * *

On the other side of Konoha, things aren't as lighthearted. Kakashi is just arriving at the gate when the guard stops him.

"Kakashi Hatake. I have been ordered to inform you upon your entrance to the village that your son, Naruto Uzumaki, has been hospitalized," the guard announces. Without another word, Kakashi rushes to the hospital. The speed he is running at can only be compared with a bat out of hell.

As he passes them, stands in the street are being thrown to the side and flipped over. He even goes as far as to use an earth jutsu to blow a hole in a store that is in his way for a straight shot to the hospital. Much to his dismay, it is a female clothing store and he curses himself for not having the time to stay and partake in his actions. He continues on his straight path to his son, ignoring any inkling he had to stay behind and watch the women in the store scream.

In his approach to the hospital, Kakashi doesn't slow down in the least bit, not even to open the doors, opting to just shatter the glass doors. He ends up slamming into the front desk, proceeding to flip over it and cause the nurse that was stationed there to be tossed to the side. "Where is Naruto Uzumaki's room," Kakashi asks in a hurry.

The nurse is a bit scatter-brained from his sudden entry, and she has a slip of the tongue. "The demon's room?" Killer intent starts to roll off of Kakashi and onto the woman, making her feel nauseas. He grabs the clipboard out of the vile woman's grasp and looks for his son's room number. After finding it on page three with scribbles all over it, made by the nurse, he takes the stairs, clearing each flight with one bound.

Kakashi reaches his son's room and throws the door open with enough force that hinges threatened to fall off. Kakashi sees that the Hokage is in the room with a fully-well, smiling Naruto. "Hokage-sama… Sorry for the… entrance." His breathlessness is followed by hysterical laughter from the old man and the small blonde.

"It's okay, Kakashi. It's nice to know that you can get somewhere fast. Though, it's odd seeing you here before you're hours late," the Hokage teases the jonin.

Naruto looks at his father with a judging look. "Really, Otou-san? Hours late? You give me grief about being only minutes late from getting out of the shower!"

"Now, now. Is that any way to treat your Otou-san after he gets back from a mission and tears a new street to the hospital to see his son?"

The Hokage looks out of the window in the direction that Kakashi would have traveled. He shakes his head at the nin. "So I see… at least eight toppled stands… IS THAT A WHOLE IN THAT BUILDING?" Sarutobi shouts, knowing how much paperwork is going to be headed his way from this.

"Well, you see what had happened was… As I was making my way here, they built that in my way and I couldn't slow down. You know, they built that in such an astonishing speed, I didn't even have time to think about turning!" Kakashi smiled, hoping that he could get away with his destruction.

"Kakashi, that building's been there for years…" Sarutobi states, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Really? I've never seen it before." There is silence for a bit, a dramatic pause if you may. "Anyways… What happened while I was gone for Naruto to be in the hospital?" As solemn Sarutobi retells the story to him as Naruto had told it with an ashamed look on his face. With each and every detail, Kakashi's thirst for blood rises, and by the time the Hokage is done with the story, Kakashi is past the point of being violent angry, and on to the coldhearted, blood thirsty angry.

Sarutobi sighs, letting every ounce of his shame show with the next sentence. "He was a jonin named Kaori and he's been apprehended. I thought that I could trust him… but I guess I made a mistake in that assumption…"

Hokage-sama, I wish to be the one who determines his punishment for what happened to Naruto," Kakashi asks with emotionless eyes.

"If and when he is found guilty, you may decide the punishment that he is to undergo, but you are not to make any action against him yourself. Agreed?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

With that done, the Third leaves, heading back to his office and leaving Kakashi alone with his son. "So, how were you handling me being gone before the incident?" Kakashi asks this, hoping to get his son to talk.

"Pretty normal, only with the silent stalker behind me at all times." Kakashi laughs at his son's nickname for the attacker. "But Otou-san! Hokage-jiji said I used the Fourth's technique to escape from the bad man!"

Kakashi is flabbergasted at his son's news. "You used _that_ technique?"

Naruto smiles widely. "Yup! Sure did! Though I don't know how I did it…" He scratches his head, trying to think yet again of how he did it.

Kakashi stares at his son with a stunned look. "Well, then if you can do that then I guess it's time to take things up a notch in your training, huh?" Naruto yells in joy at the thought of getting more training, knowledge, and experience.

After his clearance to leave, Kakashi takes his son home, answering as many questions as he could from the boy's never ending list. The questions range from what his mission was to when they would start his new training at home.

Arriving home is worse for the pair than it was for them at the hospital. The chair that held Naruto is still thrown to the side of the kitchen with wire marks from how tight he was bound to it. Blood was splattered on the ground from Naruto's various cuts. Kakashi continues through the house, assessing the damage done to both his furniture and Naruto. The target out back looks just like his kitchen, covered in blood.

Naruto, unsettled, starts to shake madly at the sight of the house. Flashbacks of the man's disturbing silence, the crazed look in his eye, the wire that cut into his skin, the numerous slashes and cuts, start to overwhelm him. He falls to his knees, holding himself and crying, trying to stop the heaving that accompanied the tears.

Kakashi runs to his side, trying to calm his son's deep cries. Eventually, he is able to get the small boy into his room, but only after the boy had cried himself to sleep. Kakashi starts to clean the house, blood beginning to boil with anger with every drop of his son's blood that he has to wipe up.

'_When that bastard is sentenced, I'm going to make him WISH I had just killed him. Oh, how I'm going to make him PAY! He will cry like a small child, wishing he was never even born!'_

* * *

The Third is exiting the counsel room, just out of a meeting to decide whether or not Kaori was guilty of his assault on Kakashi's adopted son. Sarutobi is seriously pissed off at a few members who partook in the trial. _'How dare they say that he was committing a public service for trying to kill the boy! They even tried to grant him a reward! Whatever Kakashi decides to do to the man will be too weak of a punishment!'_

He reaches his office, just a couple floors above the counsel room, and starts filling out the paperwork on the damage that Kakashi had caused in his rampage. "Maybe Kakashi should do this as punishment for destroying everything in his path," Sarutobi thinks to himself aloud.

* * *

The next day, Kakashi can be seen in his front room with papers everywhere, some crumpled in balls and all of them missing a trash bin. An ANBU had delivered him the news earlier that morning of the court's findings on Kaori, which were guilty, and that he had free rein to decide his punishment. All the papers are the plans he makes, tossing them away as he thinks of worse and worse punishments.

Kakashi settles on his punishment plan and summons Pakkun to take it to the Hokage, wanting the plan to be set into motion immediately. He pulls out a copy of the plan he made and starts to smile evilly to himself before putting the plan on the table and beginning to cook. Naruto wakes up hungry, like he always does.

It was about nine in the morning when Naruto awakens. Sniffing the air and inhaling the scent that soaked the air, he knows that they are the smells of his father's cooking. He follows his nose to the kitchen and spots a massive amount of food on the table just begging to be eaten.

Kakashi motions towards the food and smiles. "Eat till you're full!"

When Naruto is done eating, Kakashi takes him outside to train. "Naruto, I told you we were going to train you harder now, so I want you to sprint from the house to the back of the yard and back as many times as you can." Naruto takes off running full force and continues to run for over an hour.

Kakashi can't help but marvel at how much energy the boy has. _'For a boy his age to still be going like that is insane!' _

Naruto finally slows to a stop. "I can't go on running like that anymore!"

"Took you long enough, Naruto. Now come over here and try this chakra exercise." He hands the leaf to the boy, telling him to use chakra to hold it to his head. He leaves him to do the exercise for two hours. _'Where does he keep getting the chakra from? I would have been drained by now!'_

Naruto finally gives up three hours later, unable to hold the leaf up. Kakashi leads the boy inside to eat again before telling him to shower and go to bed. Naruto, greatly exhausted, gladly complies and passes out the second his head hits the pillow. After checking to see if Naruto was sleeping, he takes off and heads to the Hokage's office.

Jumping through the window of the Third's office, Kakashi finds that his leader is waiting for him. "Hello, Kakashi," the old man greets.

Kakashi smiles. "I hope you got my plans, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi pales at the mentioning of the cruel plan. "Yes, I got it…. But don't you think that it's a bit much? I mean, I wouldn't even condemn Orochimaru to this form of torture."

Kakashi laughs, making the other man worry about his sanity a little. "That's how I know I want this done to him."

The aged leader nods and stamps the piece of paper in front of him, condemning a man to a fate worse than death. Kakashi leaves the office giggling, knowing that the torture that would commence in the morning would be unbearable. On his way home, Kakashi whistles an upbeat tune.

* * *

The next morning, Kakashi sends Naruto to continue the training from the previous night. As soon as the boy is on his way, he himself leaves to go witness the beginning of Kaori's punishment. Upon his arrival at Konoha's prison cells, he hears screaming from the other side of the large metal doors.

Kakashi leads himself to Kaori's prison cell, or as he now called it, the "Cell of Torture." He peers through the bars on the door to see that his punishment is carried out first hand. From his spot at the door, Kakashi is able to see the entire room.

The man was struggling to get out of the room and save himself from the pain. Seeing Guy Might's Ultimate Sunset Jutsu, which was a genjutsu that showed you and him running towards each other in red Speedos, for a week straight was even worse to see. There are seals covering the room which allowed anyone that is right outside the door and inside the cell see the horrors.

Stepping back from the door, Kakashi notices a chalk outline on the ground in a square around the spot he was previously standing. He looks at the guards stationed outside of Kaori's cell with a questioning look. "What's that all about?"

The guard looks at him with a writhing, mortified look on his face. "Sir, that's the box of evil. You step in there and you will see one of the world's biggest atrocities."

Kakashi starts to feel sorry for the guards, who had to find out the exact range to correctly place the box. He wishes the guards good luck and says goodbye, hearing Kaori screaming for it all to end as he reaches the exit.

* * *

Naruto begins to wonder where his father went to. Realizing that he can now walk and keep the leaf on his head at the same time, he starts to search for his now lost father. After searching the entire house and finding that he is not there, Naruto continues about his normal business: eating, reading, and taking his shower.

When Kakashi gets home, he notices the leaf still on Naruto's head. "Hey, Naruto, have you had that leaf on your head all day?"

Naruto looks at him questioningly. "What leaf?" Putting his hand up to his forehead, he feels the leave from earlier. "Oh! I guess I just never took it off." Kakashi laughs at his boy's forgetfulness, but still remembers to be amazed that he kept the leaf on all day without even thinking about it.

"Looks like we will have to make the training difficulty even harder again, Naruto." He receives a joyous yell from his son and laughs at the small boy starts doing a little happy dance. Kakashi sends the small boy off to bed. _'By the time he goes off to the academy, he won't even need to be there! He really is just like his parents… Sensei, why couldn't you have just let someone else do the sealing? You're missing out on seeing your beautiful son grow up…' _With that thought, Kakashi goes to his room to sleep as well.

**Please continue to read! And review! We will reply to any questions that you may have about the story. :)**


	6. The Blue Blur

"Blah" - Dialogue

'_Blah' – Thoughts_

"Blaaahhhh/_blah_' - Emphasis

For Those I'll Live For

The Blue Blur

Naruto wakes up and goes through his normal routine. As he walks outside, he sees his father standing one of the many trees in the very back of the yard. "Hey! Why are you all the way back there?" Kakashi just waves him over.

"Nartuo. Today, I'm going to teach you how to climb this tree," he says, motioning towards said tree.

Naruto looks at his father like he is stupid. "Otou-san, I've climbed that tree a million times before."

Kakashi eye-smiled at his son. "Yes, but today you will learn to do it with no hands! Watch and learn." Kakashi places one foot on the tree and pushes off of the ground with the other. Naruto, waiting for his father to fall, is disappointed when his father starts to walk up the side of the tree.

"WHAT! How are you doing that?" Naruto yells this in surprise.

"By putting a set amount of chakra in your feet," Kakashi lift a foot to show Naruto. "You can stick to just about anything." He jumps down and tells his son to get a running start, as it would be easier to do.

Kakashi watches his adopted son run up and fall down dozens of times before seeing him rocket off the three and across the grass. "Naruto… I think you put too much chakra in that attempt."

Naruto stands up in hard movements, his face red, more from embarrassment than anger. "YA THINK?"

Naruto practices his tree climbing, much to his father's surprise, for the next eight hours before he starts to get the hand of it. That is, of course, after many, _many_, failed attempts. When he finally gets it down, he makes the mistake of jumping in joy.

Kakashi, who had just come back outside not even a minute before that, catches the young boy. "Naruto, just because you can defy it, doesn't mean that gravity won't rip you down given the chance."

"Got it, Otou-san!" Naruto gins at his father as he sets him down. "I'll be the best ninja when I go to the academy!" The young blonde smiles wildly and holds his hands behind his head.

Kakashi agrees with him and leads him inside to eat. _'No doubt. You'll be the best there, son. I wonder when he will start bugging me to teach him my special jutsus…'_

* * *

Four months later…

Naruto wakes up with more energy than usual, a result of knowing that today is his first day at the academy. He runs into the showers, cleans up, and gets dressed. He ties a black headband on, one with extra length in the back so it touched his shoulders. He is wearing black shinobi shorts, a green t-shirt with and orange cross stretching from shoulder to waist, and a white vest, unbuttoned, with a Konoha symbol on the back.

The hyper little boy runs into his dad's room and starts jumping on his bed to wake the poor man from his slumber. "Wake up! Wake up!" Naruto's attempts at waking his father are becoming less effective over time and he can't seem to wake him today, no matter what he does.

Naruto looks about the room and conjures up the best, and potentially the worst, idea he has ever had. Standing in the doorway to his father's room, so as to make sure he wouldn't be in attacking range, Naruto yells as loud as he can. "NO~ DON'T BURN MY OTOU-SAN'S BOOKS!" With a movement thought only capable of the Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha, Kakashi is fully dressed in his old ANBU armor and weapons sprinting to his book shelf in the front room.

Naruto laughs hysterically, literally rolling on the floor with tears to his eyes, at how protective his father is of his books. Kakashi never even let him read them! Naruto walks over to his father, who is in a guard stance in front of his book shelf. "Otou-san, what're you doing?"

Kakashi seems to snap out of whatever mode he was in and notices that the house was empty except for him and his son. "Uh… Getting you off to the academy?"

The father and son duo laugh at the extremely lame excuse. Kakashi always wakes up the moment Naruto walks into the room. His ANBU training doesn't let him sleep deep enough for his son _not _to wake him up. He just liked to give the boy a hard time.

"Seeing as you don't smell like grass and old ramen, you must have taken a shower already. How about we stop at Ichiraku's before we go to the academy?" Naruto almost hits the ceiling with his jump of joy.

* * *

On the way to the academy, after eating so much Ichiraku Ramen that Kakashi cries over the money spent for breakfast, Naruto is walking, hands behind his head and humming a happy tune, and Kakashi tredges to the destination with a heavy heart and an _extremely_ light wallet.

When the pair gets to the academy, Naruto notices all the other kids. Saying goodbye to his father, he runs off with the hope of making new friends. Kakashi knows that his boy would have no problems making friends, but he is bound to make at least one person an enemy.

Naruto runs up to a boy with wild brown hair, enlarged canine teeth, and red, upside-down triangles on his face. "Hey! I'm Naruto! What's your name?"

The dog-like boy grins, distorting the triangles on his face slightly. "My name is Kiba! Kiba Inuzuka! And I'm going to be the best ninja in this school!"

Naruto looks at the boy with a large, foxy grin. "No you're not! I am! I'm going to be the best ninja to EVER come from this academy!"

Kiba laughs at the prideful blonde boy and puts his arm around him, leading him towards a small group of kids. "Well, looks like we have competition in each other, now don't we?"

The group of kids consists of two boys and one girl. The girl, with a red ribbon in her pink hair, has bright green eyes, a red shirt with a flower design, and black shorts. One of the boys, the one who is sitting under a tree and snoring away, has black, pineapple-styled hair and a grey shirt. The last boy, the one with raven-black hair and eyes, is wearing a black shirt and gray shorts. He seems to have a permanent scowl glued to his face.

Kiba introduces Naruto to the group. Sakura Haruno, the pink-haired girl, greets him politely enough. The pineapple-haired boy, known as Shikamaru Nara, simply grunts and goes back to sleep. Sasuke Uchiha, the scowling boy, simply grunts to show that he knows Naruto is present.

After the ground is acquainted with the new member, the bell rings, signifying that it is time to head to class or be late on the first day of school, as some people like to do. Naruto is fighting off every fiber of his being which is telling him to run in there and be the first. He's even more ecstatic when he finds out that his new friends are in his class. Naruto sits next to Sasuke and Kiba sits on the other side of the raven-haired boy.

Iruka, Naruto's new teacher, quiets the class and explains the basics that they would be learning, which is all theory, basic strategic practices, and light physical exercise. Naruto raises his hand, practically standing up in his seat, when the teacher stops talking. "Iruka-sensei, what if we already know this?" Almost every kid from a clan and the book worms were very interested in the answer.

Naruto completely stands up now. "I would like to take the test, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka looks at the boy, raising an eyebrow. _'Well, it can't hurt him to take it, even if he fails.'_ "Anyone else want to take the same test?" Iruka is shocked to see so many hands in the air. The kids from the clans like the Uchiha, Inuzuka, Nara, Haruno, Akamichi, Aburame, and Yamanaka were basically a given. But over a majority of his class wanted to take the test as well!

"Fine. Since so many of you want to take the test," Iruka grabs the test from his desks and hands them out to all of the students who wanted them, having to send a student to get a few extras from another teacher. "The rest of you who do not wish to take the test, grab a book from the front. These will be your text books. Read pages five through thirty."

* * *

After class, Iruka collects the tests. It takes him a full two hours to grade all of the tests and recheck them, unbelieving the scores these kids are getting. _'I can understand the clan kids passing, but the civilians too? Over HALF of my class passed!' _"Hey, Mizuki, come here and recheck these tests for me." Mizuki rechecks the tests and shows an expression as shocked as Iruka feels.

"Looks like we will have to move the people who didn't pass into the class next to ours. Turns out several of their students passed this test." Iruka was stunned that so many students could pass this test on day one of school. "Seems like we will have a really talented generation, won't we, Mizuki?" All Mizuki can do is nod in agreement.

Iruka goes on his way to inform the Hokage of the test matter, being that academy students count as ninja and fall under the Hokage's jurisdiction.

* * *

Naruto is jittery, impatient for class to start and to know how well his did on the test. As Iruka walks into the room, he is rushed by all of the students who had taken the test along with Naruto. Iruka sees this coming and is at his desk before the students can bother him further. He quiets the class and addresses them. "I will announce who has passed in just a moment, but before I do, I would like to have those who did not take the test report the class one, to the right of this class."

When they are gone, he addresses his little geniuses. "It seems that all of you here have passed your tests, to the point that all of you here are considered 3rd year students now. That means you all go straight to the physical and chakra related material of the academy. Congratulations." He smiles as his students and then ducks for cover when they all explode with cheers and outburst of joy.

Iruka laughs and stands back up, straightening his clothes. "Now, one by one, I want you all to line up and show me if you can tap into your chakra," he started. The class lines up, Naruto at the end of the line. One by one, as he asked, the class showed they could indeed tap into their chakra. Sasuke Uchiha impresses Iruka most until Naruto is called. "Naruto, I want you to call up as much chakra as you can," he says, just as he said to the other children.

"Uhmm…" Naruto looks at his teacher nervously. "Are you sure we should do this in here? Why not outside?"

Iruka is convinced that the boy is just nervous that he won't be able to tap into his chakra the first time like the others had. "Look, Naruto, everyone else did it in here. You can too."

"Well, if you're sure," the blonde mutters so softly, that Iruka isn't sure if he even heard it.

Naruto slams his hands together, creating the Ram hand sign, and lets as much chakra out as he can, knocking the students to the walls, Iruka right _out the door_, and all of the furniture was sent to the wall with the students. Except the teachers desk. That one went straight _through_ the wall, revealing a terrified group of kids that just left their class. Their little heads peek over the massive hole in the wall.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!" Iruka yells, "How did you manage that?"

Naruto looks at the ground, ashamed at his destruction. "I told you we should have went outside… I'm sorry…"

Iruka couldn't imagine what Naruto had done to get such massive chakra stores. "Naruto, its ok. I told you to do it and you _did_ warn me."

The rest of the day went normal, by Iruka's standards. All of the questions were are answered quickly and correctly by the small Haruno girl, which he knew was coming. The Haruno clan is known for its braniacs. But Iruka couldn't get his mind off of Naruto's chakra levels, which the gaping hole in his class reminded him of at every second. After class is over, he decides that he should ask the Hokage about the boy.

* * *

"And then! And then I _blew up_ the room with my chakra," Naruto excitedly explains to his father of what happened at school that day.

Kakashi is laughing, getting a kick out of his son's exuberant story. "Naruto, you can't go long without blowing up a part of a building, can you?"

Naruto takes offense to his father's statement. "Name ONE time I ever blew anything up!"

Kakashi's eyes level with his son's. "Guy's house: the day you met Lee."

Naruto just shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe you're getting old and forgetful." Naruto gives Kakashi his patented fox grin. Kakashi, being the logical person he is, gives a logical response to being called old by your son. He tickle-attacks him.

Naruto gives up trying to break free from his father's grasp, gasping for air in between laughs and complaining that it isn't a fair fight. "Naruto, you blew up a house and a classroom. How is it _not _fair?" Naruto glares at his clever, silver-haired, scarecrow of a father.

Naruto is eventually let free and starts playing with a small blue ball that had a lot of bounce to it. "Hey, Otou-san? What's this?"

Kakashi glances at the object in the boy's hands and shivers. "That's called a racquetball, and it used to be my favorite game. Until Guy kept challenging me to games… You can have it if you want."

Naruto falls in love with his new toy, bouncing it off of any surface he could find. After hours of bouncing it, he drives his dad crazy and is forced to go play in his room. "Hmm… I wonder what would happen if I put chakra into it…" Focuses a little chakra. Well, a little by Naruto's standards. He tosses the blue ball at his wall, only for it to gain at least ten times its speed as it bounced off of everything in his room. Including himself.

He yells in pain as he gets assaulted multiple times from the blue ball and runs to hide under his bed.

Kakashi feels a big chakra spike, almost as big as when he uses his famous Chidori jutsu. Hearing his son yell out in pain, Kakashi runs into the boy's room room, only to be hit square in the face by the blue racquetball. He falls into the room like a ragdoll and the door slams shut from the ball that is trapped behind it.

Kakashi repeatedly mimics his son's shouts of pain as the toy slams into his side with tremendous force. "Dad! Crawl under here!"

Kakashi listens to his son and crawls under the bed. "Naruto, what happened? Why is there a blue blur attacking us?"

Naruto gives a nervous chuckle and avoids eye contact. "Well, I put a little chakra in the ball, since it was hollow, and it kinda… went Guy crazy on me."

"Naruto, that was enough chakra to do my Chidori jutsu," Kakashi tells him.

Naruto turns ghostly pale at the information he is given. "So we're as screwed as Guy at a math contest?" Kakashi nods. "Great. You think this will be over soon?" Kakashi shakes his head 'no.' Naruto's puts his forehead on the floor and turns so his ear is against the floor. He hears footsteps. "Dad! Someone's here," Naruto tells his dad as Lee walks in.

"Naruto, are you here? I told you I was coming over, remember?" Lee closes the door behind him and notices the blur of blue bouncing around the room, catches it, and gets thrown into the wall.

The boy falls forward, doubled over and holding his stomach. Kakashi and Naruto scramble out from under the bed, tripping over one another a little, to check the young boy. Lee uncurls slightly and thrusts out his hand, which held the blue ball. "Got it!" Lee falls over after he speaks those words.

"Give you an A+ for effort," Kakashi says through his laughter at the green-clad boy.

"Eh… About a D- for planning, though," Naruto adds.

"Yosh! That averages out to about a B-," Lee says through the pain. Everybody in the room laughs, including himself, which causes him to groan after each chuckle.

Kakashi moves to leave the two boys to play, as he has to go buy food. As soon as he walks out the door, he turns right back around and takes Naruto's ball. "No ball and no going into the kitchen. For that matter, stay outside until I get back from the store."

Naruto protests, "Why!"

Kakashi doesn't even think about his reply before it comes out of his mouth. "Last time you two were put together in a house, alone, you blew it up. And you just trapped us in a room with this ball."

"Yeah, yeah…" Naruto leads Lee outside to the backyard and Kakashi takes off for the store.

* * *

"Lee! I got passed up to the 3rd year class," Naruto proudly states to his friend.

Lee looks at Naruto like he had grown a second head. "But I'm only a 2nd year," he complains.

Naruto laughs at the irony of it. "Ha ha, I'm a year ahead of you!"

At that, the boys begin to spar like they always did. And, like always, Lee is dominating the taijutsu battle. That is, until Naruto starts pumping chakra into his limbs. After getting kicked in the face and getting sent across the yard, Lee gives up and proclaims, "Yosh. Your flames of youth burn bright!"

"Lee, you've been hanging out with Guy, haven't you?"

"Yosh! And he has shown me his secret to being youthful!"

"Oh? You found his meth stash?"

"Meth?" Lee forms a confused look on his face.

"His secret to being youthful. Think you can let me try it?"

"Yosh! I shall bring it to school tomorrow!"

* * *

The next day, at the academy…

Naruto meets up with Lee, who has a can in his hand. "Hey Lee! Is that it?"

Lee smiles and gives his friend a thumbs up. "Yosh! This is indeed the secret to youthfulness!" Lee hands Naruto the sixteen ounce can reading "Metabolic Endurance: Training Helper. The most youthful drink on the market!" Naruto opens the can a guzzles down the drink in one shot. The bell rings, calling the kids to class.

"Ok, students! Today we will be going outside." Iruka herds his students outside. Naruto is extra jumpy, but nobody seems to notice. Once outside, Iruka informs his class that they will be showing off their stamina today by running through the obstacle course. "Who would like to go first?" Naruto is next to Iruka in a flash. "Looks like we have a volunteer."

Naruto runs the obstacle course in under three minutes, shattering the school's record of three minutes and thirty-two seconds. As all of the other students took their turns on the course, Naruto is running around all of the other students and even up trees, to Iruka's surprise. "Naruto! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AROUND SO MUCH! SIT STILL!"

Naruto is practically bouncing off everything and doing figure eights around his fellow students. "Woohoo!" He screams his and continues running around.

Iruka runs up next to the group. "Naruto! Why are you running around so much?" He starts to get frustrated with the young blonde's noncompliance. "Sit still!" Naruto stops dead in his tracks and looks at his sensei. "But, Iruka-sensei! Meth is a heck of a drug!" He zooms off again while Iruka stands there with his jaw on the floor.

Hinata, the young Hyuga girl in Naruto's class, walks up to Iruka. "Uhm… Sensei?" When she receives no answer, she carefully lifts his jaw and closes his mouth for him.

**We ask, yet again, that you review! From the hits and views, we _know_ that you're reading. We even know you've favorited us. We _KNOW_. lol Please continue your loyal reading :)**


	7. Smile and Wave

"Blah" - Dialogue

'_Blah' – Thoughts_

"Blaaahhhh/_blah_' - Emphasis

For Those I'll Live For

Smile and Wave

Iruka isn't very happy with his student's, Naruto's, choice of words after finding out why he was as hyper as a monkey on crack from an energy drink. The drink was quickly banned from school grounds. Guy, of course, led a strong defense for the product, but was eventually forced to a loss as Naruto's example of what it could cause overpowered his so-called 'benefits.'

Naruto is happy to not have that dreaded drink in his life anymore. He can't handle all of the energy that tries to get out of him at once, but Naruto was happy that he had set a new school record, even though he narrowly escaped getting an asterisk next to his name.

But none of that matters because he had also made a new friend that day. The shy girl in his class, Hinata Hyuga, has the coolest lavender eyes to Naruto. Hinata returns the thought about Naruto's eyes, telling him that they are as deep as the sea. The pair spends their lunch together every day since they met. When Hinata is picked on for being too timid, Naruto defends her and starts a fight with the other kid, demolishing him.

Naruto is suspended for a week because of the drink incident, but only serves an hour of it by stating, "You're training us to fight, then expect us not to? Dude, I'm six and I know that's not right." Hinata is pleasantly surprised when Naruto walks back into class after being gone for only an hour.

Kiba, who has become one of Naruto's closest friends, begs him to tell him how he did it so that he wouldn't get in trouble for fighting too. "Kiba, you're being trained to fight and kill, but they expect us to be nonviolent?"

Kiba almost dies, laughing at the simplicity of the answer. "Leave it to you, Naruto, to find out something so stupidly simple!"

"Kiba, I'm above you in grades. I'm only behind Shino, Sasuke, and Hinata. You're nearly at the bottom." Kiba growls at his friend for mocking him, but before he is able to retort, Iruka walks in and immediately begins telling the class to go outside and start running laps.

"Why do we _always_ have to run laps," Kiba complains.

"Because you can't be a good ninja if you get tired from a little jog," Naruto yells from the front of the pack of running kids.

"You're a stamina freak though! It's not fair," Kiba groans as his face starts to turn red from exerting himself and his breathing becomes heavier and puffier.

Naruto always dominates the physical part of each day until he gets bored, which when he does, he falls back to talk to Hinata. "Hey there, Hinata. What's up," Naruto says calmly.

"H..hey…N…Naruto," Hinata manages to get out between gasps for air.

Naruto laughs at her slow response. "Tired, Hinata?" The girl can only glare at the blonde boy who is now running backwards, just to show off to her.

"NARUTO, PAY ATTENTION AND STOP SHOWING OFF FOR YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIEND," Iruka yells from the other side of the field. Naruto trips at the statement and tumbles backwards, only to roll with it and jump up, somehow twisting himself in the air to face the direction of his classmate's destination. "Ha! Even when I fall, I still win!"

Hinata starts giggling quietly at the blonde's antics, almost tripping over her own feet because of it. "Naruto, don't make me laugh, or I will fall!"

Naruto starts doing fancy moves, spinning around in cartwheels next to her, still keeping pace with her. "Really now?" It is all he can get out before he slams into the fence behind him. He is up against the fence, upside down. "Should have seen that coming…"

Iruka calls the class over to the sparring grounds. Today is the day that they are learning different forms of the academy basic, taijutsu. It is pretty much useless in a _real_ fight, but it is better than nothing and it isn't too demanding. Hinata is the female leader in taijutsu, while for the boys, it is a toss-up between Naruto, Sasuke, and Kiba.

* * *

5 years pass, and the final year of the academy is finally here for Naruto and his friends.

In the five years, Naruto has grown quite close to Hinata. He likes her so much, that he even asked her on a date right before the academy started up for their last year. The day after their date, the two had shown up holding hands, so everyone had assumed that it had went well.

Whenever someone would bring it up, the two would blush and look off into space, so nobody knew the exact status of the relationship but the two. It didn't matter in the eyes of the Sasuke fan girls, though. They were just glad to know that the clan heiress isn't interested in their mark.

Kiba is the one to constantly pester the two about whether or not they have kissed already. Sakura thought that Naruto and Hinata make a cute couple, her being one of the co-founders of Sasuke's fan club. Kiba, being generous, gives up his seat to Hinata so that she can sit next to her new boyfriend.

After about three weeks into their second year of school, Kiba had made it his daily routine to go to Naruto's house, usually for a hideout after the pair pulled a prank on somebody, or just to get extra practice in with his kunai and taijutsu by sparring with the blonde before the boy started his training with his silver-haired father.

"Give," Kiba whines in defeat after being bested by his friend yet again. "You win. AGAIN. Say, how are you and Hinata?"

Naruto smiles widely at his dog-like friend. "Pretty good, actually. Though I don't think her family likes me very much, but maybe that's only because I keep beating Neji in spars."

Kiba tilts his head slightly. "You know, it's probably because you can't seem to stay on the ground for more than a second. Seriously! You use me to vault yourself every time we spar!"

Naruto laughs at his friend's complaint. "Well, yeah. That's how I fight, and it works really well, in case you haven't noticed."

"Does your fighting style even have a name or do you just kind of make it up as you go?" Kiba inquires.

"Nah… It's more of the concept of joining two fighting styles and I make the moves up from that," Naruto replies proudly. "It's my Otou-san's fighting style concept mixed with the concept of the Fourth's style."

Kiba whistles slowly as he takes in that information. "Dang… You're going to have one heck of a fighting style once you get it all done!"

Naruto grins, showing his shining teeth. "That's what my Otou-san says."

Kiba sits on the grass and returns to the subject he originally asked about. "So… Have you two kissed yet?"

Naruto's face faults at his friend's constant questioning about what him and Hinata do and have yet to do. "Well, if you MUST know, we have made out a bunch of times," Naruto says with a fox-like grin.

Kiba's jaw almost left a dent in the ground as it hit. "Really? How was it? How many times? Where?" Kiba throws out his slew of questions as fast has his mouth can form the words.

"Calm down, Kiba," Naruto says. "And it was amazing! Gah! It's the best thing in life. I feel like we are meant to be together, you know? And Otou-san said that we ninja should live life as much as we can because if could end at anytime," Naruto tells his friend enthusiastically before his face started to turn red from blushing. "Though there was one time I swear Haishi-sama was going to kill me…"

Kiba went wide-eyed at the news that the blonde had fed him. "WHAT? You gotta tell me, man!"

Naruto looks at the ground and then falls, laughing. "Yeah, you're going to love this one. I'm still proud of myself from it, even if I have NO clue what went through my mind to think it was a good idea."

Kiba leans forward, aching to hear what his friend has to say. "TELL!"

Naruto sits down across from his friend, not even noticing that his father is now standing in the doorway a few yards away. "Well, we were at her house, which is huge by the way, and Haishi-sama told us to stay in the garden, which is right outside of her room. Well, we kissed, and that led to making out, so she told me to follow her to her room. Needless to say, I gladly followed. When we got in there, we sat on her bed and started to make out. But only about four minutes later, Haishi-sama slammed her door open looking absolutely PISSED. Like Akamichi getting his food stolen, pissed."

Naruto continues, "Well, I don't know what the HELL went through my mind to think it was a gread idea to look the man directly in the eyes, and just give him a big smile and wave to him." Kiba is now laughing so hard that he almost forgets to breathe, causing him to cough and gasp for air. Kakashi is literally rolling on the ground, laughing hard about what his son had done.

"Naruto! I can't believe you did that," Kiba yells, unbelieving of the story.

Kakashi is still on the ground, going through the process of taking deep breaths, then bursting out in laughter, spouting words like "YOU! HIASHI! HINATA! SMILE!" and repeating the whole process over and over again.

"The funny part was I know I caught him way off guard because he waved back, looking confused as all heck," Naruto adds, laughing at himself.

After the boys got over the humor of the story, Kiba takes off to his own home so he could start his clan training and even his own partner to train with, while Naruto still has to try and get his father to stop laughing before he passes out from lack of air. After twenty minutes, he finally stops laughing.

"Now, you really know how to cause a scene, don't you Naruto?" Kakashi takes a swipe at his son to begin his training for the evening.

"Well, like you said, Otou-san! Live it up while I can!" Naruto jumps over his father's low kick.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you would go and do that! I told you to live it up, not go and get yourself killed. Though I have to say that it's definitely the first time I have ever heard of that happening."

Naruto grabs his silver-haired attacker by his left wrist and pulls it towards himself as he did a front flip to kick the eye-smile off of his dad. His hit landing, Naruto bounces off of Kakashi's face, twisting to the side, snapping his father's wrist and ripping tendons at his elbow. The man Naruto was fighting explodes into water and falls, leaving a puddle behind him.

"Nice, Naruto. You're improving very fast. You were able to beat my Mizu clone," Kakashi says as he holds a kunai to his son's throat from behind.

"Yeah, but I still have a long way to go. I have a trick I wanna show you, Otou-san." Naruto breaks free from his father's grasp and forms several seals father than Kakashi can make out with his normal eye. "**Zanzou no Jutsu!**" Naruto yells. Moving slowly towards his father, Naruto looks a little blurry and distorted to the man.

Moving into a full sprint, Naruto looks like he is moving at speeds where his body appears to be in multiple places at once, leaving exactly what his son's technique was called. An Afterimage. Kakashi finds it hard to dodge his son's attacks, because while some hits looked like they hit, the actual force of the hit shows up after the fist hits him, instead of _when_ it hit him.

Other times, the pain wouldn't come at all, thowing Kakashi off a little. His son is attacking with what seems to be a ghost's body. Calling it quits, Kakashi has to ask what the blonde had created and how. "Naruto, what is that technique?"

Naruto falls on the grass, slightly exhausted. "Well, since I couldn't use the standard Bunshin unless in massive amounts, I decided that I should make it more useful. By making the clones cover my body like a hinge, but all moving at slightly different times, I can make it look like I'm going really, really fast!"

Kakashi marvels at his boy's creative jutsu. "Well, that's a great move, Naruto. I was honestly baffled at how you were making an afterimage fight back correctly." Naruto, leans backwards, gives a thumbs up, and drifts off to sleep.

The next day, Naruto and Hinata run to school in a hurry. Today is the day that they get to sp

* * *

ar with the other students and anything they know that won't kill a person is allowed to be used in the battle. Naruto is excited to be able to show off his Zanzou no Jutsu, to both Hinata and his classmates. Hinata wants to see the technique Naruto had been working on for some time now, but she also wants to show that she is still the top of the female fighters in her class. Her father would accept nothing less.

Kiba is waiting for the young couple at the gates to the schoolyard of the academy. "Took you two long enough," Kiba yells, seeing the two about half a block away from the school.

"Yeah, I know Kiba," Naruto replies. "I hope I'll fight you today! I'll show you why you're at the bottom of the class list." Naruto punches Kiba's arm.

"Bring it, blonde boy," Kiba shouts and pushes back. The two boys start laughing as Hinata glares at the two boys. "Can you two not get into who's the 'Alpha' argument again?" Both of the boys point at themselves.

* * *

"Saskue and Shino! To the sparring mat!" Both boys jump to each side of the mat, taking stances. "Now, remember! Today, you can use any nonlethal jutsu you know and any taijutsu that you are willing to use. Begin!"

Both boys are standing still, waiting for the other to make the first move. Sasuke, getting impatient, pulls out several blunted shuriken and tosses them at Shino, followed by rushing at the grey-coated boy. Shino doesn't even move as his kikai bugs swarm out of his sleeves and collar to stop the projectiles headed for their host.

Sasuke, jumping through the cloud of bugs to reach his target, finds out that the boy wasn't there anymore. He sees him again on the other side of the bug cloud. He rushes again through the bugs as fast as he can to get to Shino, only for him to fall to the ground, exhausted. "Why am I so tired already?"

"Because you jumped through my bugs. They pushed you to the side, attached themselves to you, and started draining your chakra. The second time you did it, more attached and drained you until you could no longer move. Having so little chakra, it took mere seconds," Shino informs his tired and helpless opponent.

"Good job, Shino. You didn't even have to move to win," Iruka congratulated the boy. "Well, now its Naruto and Kiba's turn." Before he can even tell the two to get into the fighting area, they were already in their fighting stances. Naruto in his unique style and Kiba in his clan's style. "Begin!"

The two dash towards each other. Kiba is making what seemed like wild clawing motions but leaves little to no room for Naruto to counter. The blonde side-steps and twists to dodge his friend's relentless assault, jumping back to avoid a vertical clawing motion. "Oh? So we're actually going to try?" Naruto taunts his dog-like opponent.

Kiba goes through hand signs at a moderate speed. "**Shikyaku no Jutsu**," he yells. The boy falls down on all fours, gaining animal-like claws and enlarged canine teeth.

Naruto smiles foxily at his friend and flies through his own hand seals, shouting, "**Zanzou no Jutsu,**" and dashing off to Kiba.

'_What? How can he be moving that fast?' _It is all Kiba can think before getting kicked in the face and being launched into the air. Kiba starts twisting his body, pumping chakra out of it in one direction and turning himself into a mini tornado. "**Tsuga!**" A tornado-like drill aims itself towards Naruto's burry body, Naruto jumping out of the way as his friend hits the ground. The tornado disappears, revealing a dizzy-looking Kiba. "Whoa, I'm not used to that just yet," he says, his head wobbling like he's a drunkard.

Naruto runs at his dizzy comrade. Kiba sees this coming and takes a blind swipe at the approaching blur of a boy. Jumping over the brown-haired boy, using his shoulder as his pivot point, Naruto slips out a kunai and as soon as his feet hit the grass, he has a kunai on Kiba's neck. "I win. With the same exact move, Kiba."

Kiba whines in defeat as he walks off of the mat and sits down, a sad look upon his face. "You always win!" Iruka coughs to get his class's attention, getting through all of the other student's battles, though they all paled in comparison to either of the first two matches.

After school, Kiba is looking for Naruto, finding him kissing with Hinata and then parting with the blue-black-haired girl.

"Hey, Naruto! I saw that," Kiba yells, running to the blushing blonde's side.

"So what! I beat you twice in under twenty-four hours. You really want to make it a third?"

Kiba laughs and tells the blonde that he is going straight home today because today is the day he gets his dog partner. "Finally," the brunette says as he leaves Naruto to walk home alone. Naruto's special kunai falls from its broken chain. "Why do these things keep breaking? Oh well. I should go get a new one."

Naruto stops in a store to get a chain, spotting a book for beginners on sealing. "Should get that too…" Getting his book and chain, Naruto heads home.

* * *

"Seals for Starters: Lesson One – Each Symbol has a Different Purpose or Use." Naruto reads the whoel book in one night, but only understands the easier parts. Over the next month, Naruto reads over the book any change he has, but only is able to manage small storage seals, scrolls being the biggest object he can seal.

Kakashi gives him a few pointers and buys him more books on sealing, but Naruto is determined to do everything that his first book said he could do with it. After the second month, Naruto is able to seals objects as big as desks and dressers.

Naruto uses his sealing skills to pull various pranks on the neighborhood and even for romantic things for his girlfriend, Hinata.

* * *

Hinata wakes up bright and early for school and is about to leave to grab a small snack before heading to the academy when she notices a paper plane fly into her room. She opens it and it pops into a cloud of smoke revealing a dozen pink and white roses in her hands with a card that read:

_To Hinata, the best girl in the entire world!  
-From Naruto_

The card has a small, sloppy drawing of him handing over flowers to a small, sloppy drawing of her.

Hinata runs out of her house, forgetting about her hunger and the food she wanted to grab to give her cute boyfriend a hug and kiss. "Thank you, Naruto! It was cute!"

Naruto pulls out his sealing book and kisses it, calling it the tome of life's greatest secrets. _'The author was right! It worked like a charm!' _The couple walk to school, hand in hand, after Hinata puts the roses back in her room.

**Yes! Reviews! :P We're happy to receive these and hope you continue to send us your comments! Please continue reading out story :)**


	8. The Intent

"Blah" - Dialogue

'_Blah' – Thoughts_

"Blaaahhhh/_blah_' - Emphasis

For Those I'll Live For

The Intent

Naruto is running full-speed through the forest with Kiba and his dog Akamaru, a little white dog with brown ears. Trees are whipping by the boys to the point that they are just brown and green blurs. "Man, she really won't give up! I think we should just give in man," Kiba says to Naruto.

"NEVER," Naruto shouts to his friend.

Kiba chuckles at Naruto's overzealousness. Hinata had told them that today, they are all going to go shopping for clothes, because she was sick of seeing the same outfits all the time. She told them that she was making Naruto get rid of the bright colors. Needless to say, he isn't too happy about that.

Hinata is right on their tails, not even a hundred feet behind. Nothing can get past her eyes with the Byakugan active, and hers was in full force. "Stop running and I won't make you wear pink!" The boys stop and think about the offer. They both know that, if she wants to, she can make them where the horrid, girly color.

Hinata drags the two crying boys to the stores. Both males already know that today is going to be a very, very long day. Hinata is happy and she already knows what kind of outfits that she is making each boy get. Her plans are to get Naruto some less violent colors and Kiba some more animalistic ones to match Akamaru.

After fighting with one another to get the boys to try on the clothes, everyone finally comes to an agreement. Naruto leaves the store with several outfits that look exactly like the ones he has on when he leaves. He's now wearing normal black shinobi sandals, shinobi pants that aren't taped up, a black t-shirt that has the words "First Class Soldier" in flame-styled lettering, and a pair of black gloves with shiny metal plates just below the knuckles.

Kiba walks out of the store with just as many clothes as Naruto. He is wearing a pair of black shinobi sandals, dark brown shinobi pants, a tight t-shirt with a wolf's snarling face on the front, and his old coat with added black markings to give him a more tribal look.

"Now you both look even better," Hinata says as she walks out of the store with one outfit that looks exactly like the one she had entered the store in.

"It's not fair, is it, Kiba?" Naruto whines.

"Heck no! Though I do look kinda cool…" Kiba states, causing Naruto to glare at him.

* * *

After getting home, Naruto puts his new clothes away in his closet, smiling at how Hinata had gone out of her way to get him to do this.

After putting away his clothes, he lays on his bed and stares at his white ceiling. _'Gah. I miss her already… Sometimes, I wonder if this is love…'_ With that thought, Naruto drifts off to sleep.

* * *

When Naruto wakes up, he follows his normal routine, but as he heads out of the door, his father stops him. "Look, Naruto, I know you're going to be a ninja soon, so I think it's a good idea for you to have this." Kakashi hands him Konoha's bingo book, filled with information on dangerous ninja. "Remember that the ninja in here can easily kill you. Heck, some of them could take me on without any trouble."

With that information, Naruto starts reading up on who he should flee from if he sees them once becoming a full-fledged ninja. Engulfed in his book, he leaves his walking partner, Hinata, to her own thoughts.

He notices the additional warnings around two people, Itachi Uchiha and Orochimaru. _'Must be the people Otou-san said even he couldn't beat.' _He puts the book into his back pocket and chases after Hinata, who had walked ahead of him.

* * *

Every kid in Iruka's classroom is sitting and staring impatiently at the clock. Today is the day that everyone from his class goes out into the training grounds and watches the top students fight to see who is the best. Only one thing that is held back is kill shots.

Hinata won last time, using her family's fighting style to make her boyfriend unable to mold chakra and quickly ending it. Naruto is ready to take on Kiba and Sasuke today, confident that he can beat Kiba, but unsure about Sasuke, as the boy had beaten him more than a few times.

"You're going down Sasuke," Naruto whispers to the boy next to him, receiving a small chuckle in return.

"You think you can take me on? You didn't last time. As I recall, your girl beat the crap out of you. What makes you think that you can beat me this time?" Sasuke taunts the blonde.

"Hey! Getting hit with her Jyuken strikes isn't something to laugh at," Naruto says a little bit above a whisper. Hinata hears him and smiles at her boyfriend's remark.

As the bell rings, everybody runs out of the door and out to the training grounds. There are a couple of arena-like areas, a metal ring encircling trees, which surrounded flat, barren land, useful for fighting and letting others observe.

Iruka smiles knowingly at what today is, for it isn't a secret that the class did this every so often. The teachers normally went to watch, as well as some jonin who would be getting kids from this age group as a team.

Iruka also always went to go watch. Somebody has to make sure that they don't get too injured. _'Plus, it's always fun to see what they are really capable of. I mean, who knew that Naruto had started to learn sealing and Sasuke could use fire jutsu already!'_

* * *

The class is out in the training grounds, jonin secretly hidden away in the surrounding trees.

All of the students who would be participating in the fight, Hinata, Kiba, Naruto, Sasuke, and Shino are all looking around for who would be their first opponents. Shikamaru, who had given up before the fight had even started, was tossed to Shino by Ino.

"Geez! You're never going to be a man! You're barely a boy," Ino shrieks, only to be ignored by a now sleeping Shikamaru.

The main fighters wait for a few minutes and receive no challengers. As if joyous about the silence, the group turns to each other. Naruto heads straight for Sasuke. "Let's go, you smug asshole," Naruto spits as he walks to Sasuke's fighting area.

Everyone wants to see this match, after the last match the boys had had. Sasuke had dominated Naruto with fire, the blonde barely making it out of the fight with minor burns, much to his disliking. But the battle had led Naruto to train to beat the raven-haired boy's fire the best way he could think of.

Hinata and Sakura walk inbetween the two soon-to-be combatants. The two girls hold up their hands, saying, "Remember! No kill shots!" Both Naruto and Sasuke nod to the girls and they nod back. "Begin," the girls yell, jumping out of the fighting zone.

Sasuke and Naruto both immediately start going through hand signs at speeds where only every other seal can be seen. They yell out their attacks simultaneously. Sasuke cries out, "**Katon Housenka no Jutsu,**" summoning his fire, and Naruto shouts out "**Yoreki no Jutsu!**"

With Sasuke spouting out several red-hot fireballs at Naruto, the blonde is pointing his open palms at each flame that heads his way and each seems to be replaced with balls of water, which falls to the ground as soon as they are turned. "What did you do, blondie," Sasuke growls angrily.

"Simple! When fire burns, it creates water and I use my technique to focus my chakra to the water that each fireball creates. The water attracts more water to put out those little fireballs of yours," Naruto boasts proudly, smiling and crossing his arms.

With a "Hn" from Sasuke, his "whatever" grunt, the fight starts up again. Naruto nearly gets his head put into the ground by a kick and decides it would be best to use his Zanzou jutsu. Running forward and kicking Sasuke in the chest, he does a backhand spring to safety and flies through his hand signs for one of his favorite moves. "**Zanzou no Jutsu!**"

Naruto's body takes the form of his famous black and yellow blur as he speeds over to Sasuke. "Hard to fight when you're not sure exactly where I'm at," Naruto's voice echoes and travels as he moves. He punches Sasuke in the side of the head, making his body twist.

Sasuke forces his body to twist with Naruto's hit and brings his foot around, kicking the blonde in the side. He hears a few pops before the boy stumbles from the hit. "Ha. Sounds like you're going to be in some pain. Why don't you just give up now, loser?" Sasuke cocks his head to the side, raising his "superior" nose up, in confidence, believing that his opponent will give up.

* * *

"Looks like your little boyfriend lost _again_, Hinata." Sakura sighs and looks at the lavender-eyed girl. "I swear, I don't get why you are dating someone as weak as Naruto."

Hinata looks at the pinkette with a blank, emotionless look that her family is well known to have. "Looks to me that the fight is still continuing." Hinata's face takes on a more sinister, twisted look, one that doesn't suit the sweet personality she usually has. "And don't mock my boyfriend if you want to keep that pretty hair of yours." She looks back at the arena that the boys stand in.

Sakura starts to slowly inch away from the now terrifying girl. Ino had watched the conversation and shivers. She knows how scary Hinata can get if you insult Naruto. It makes you wonder who was scarier; her or Naruto?

* * *

Naruto receives another kick to his now fractured ribs. _'Holy SHIT this hurts! I need to beat him soon or I'm not going to make it!'_ Naruto pulls out a kunai with symbols carved into each side of the blade. _'If this doesn't at least give me enough time to win or if Kami doesn't smile upon me and make this trick win for me, I will have to back out or black out.'_

Naruto jumps away from his attacker and launches the kunai, forming the "tora" seal, and then the "ram" seal, holding it until the kunai is halfway to Sasuke. With Naruto's loud declare of "KAI!" the four seals on the kunai glow a blue as bright as his eyes and chains with heavy iron tri-pointed claws fly out in the direction of the raven-haired boy. As the claws pass Sasuke's waist and head, Naruto forms the "snake" seal.

"Recede!" The seals begin glowing an even brighter blue than before, pulsating slightly, and the chains start to pull themselves back into the kunai at an alarming rate. The razor-sharp claws dig into Sasuke's shoulders and lower back. Because the claws are keeping the chain from going to the kunai, the kunai has to go to the chains, gaining extreme speed from the pull of the chains.

Naruto tosses a regular kunai to a small wooden stump on the edge of the fighting area, used for Kawarimi aiming, only a few feet away to show that if he wanted to kill the boy, he could have. _'Dodge that, you prick!'_

With a poof, Sasuke appears on the border of the area, unharmed. "That's what you get for thinking you could beat an Uchiha." He turns and walks away. "You aren't going to be continuing this fight after that."

Everyone is watching looks to see what exactly Sasuke had switched with, only to see Naruto, now with metal claws sunk deep into his flesh with his own kunai, no longer glowing, wedged into his torso, which is now bleeding heavily. All of the viewers are shocked that Sasuke would do such a thing to a classmate. Hinata runs over to her bleeding, suffering boyfriend while Sakura runs off to follow Sasuke.

"Naruto! Please be ok!" Hinata cries and clings to Naruto's shirt, soaking the spot where her face lies. "You can't die here! You can't leave now!"

Naruto smiles at his beautiful girlfriend, so worried about his wellbeing. "No worries," Naruto manages to squeeze out before his is interrupted by a coughing fit, blood flying out of his mouth. "I won't die. Just for you, little lady." Naruto begins finding it harder to keep his eyes open and looking at anywhere but the back of his eyelids.

"HELP," Hinata starts to scream as all of the other students run off to find someone to help their dying friend. Iruka, who had witnessed the whole scene, is too shocked to even blink until he hears screaming for help. He jumps down from his hiding place in the trees to offer assistance.

"Iruka-sensei, help him," Hinata frantically yells at her teacher. It was more of a command than a request, which she would regret the rudeness of her actions later.

Iruka looks over the boy, amazed that he has lived as long as has with that kind of a wound. _'He needs medical attention NOW.' _Picking up the boy, careful not to agitate the kunai or claws and make the wounds worse, he leaps out of the fighting area and jumps on rooftops as fast as he can, aiming for the hospital. _'Come on, Naruto! Stay with me!'_

Approaching the hospital, Iruka jumps down to street level, disturbing the dust on the ground. He bursts through the doors and yells for a doctor, handing the blonde boy off to the medical staff and sitting down in the waiting room impatiently. _'I should report this to the Hokage.'_ Getting out of the seat he was in, Iruka heads out of the hospital and towards the Hokage's office.

* * *

Hinata is furious, eyes burning with a deep, hateful rage. Sasuke had tried to take Naruto from her and she isn't even sure if he failed or accomplished in his attempt, frustrating her further and making her hell-bent on making him pay. Activating her bloodline, her Byakugan, the young heiress begins her war path.

Running the direction she had last seen the soon-to-be doomed Uchiha heir, she eventually spots the pink-haired scardey-cat, Sakura. "Where. Is. He," Hinata demands, pronouncing each word through seething teeth.

"Why do you want to know? Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend while he is still around?" The pink banshee says, flipping her hair nonchalantly and crossing her arms defiantly.

Hinata loses control of her body as it begins to overflow with rage. Striking Sakura's tenketsu and closing off all of the nonlethal points, Hinata makes Sakura collapse. "Where. Is. He," Hinata demands once again, the intent to kill very clear in both her spiteful voice, as well as her stark eyes.

"Some masked ninja came and took him away, I swear," Sakura spouts as she cries from the excruciating pain.

'_That means that the ANBU have him. Good. Hopefully they cause him some kind of physical pain.' _With her conscious at rest that the boy will get what he deserves, Hinata heads off to the hospital.

* * *

"Okay, very funny. Now someone tell me. WHO THE FUCK THREW ME INTO A SEWER," Naruto shouts to the empty sewage pipe. Sighing, he starts to walk down the tunnel, searching for any way out of the oddly odorless place. Hearing breathing, Naruto speeds up his pace.

The blonde runs into what looks like a huge room in the sewer that is divided in two by a set of black metal bars that run from the floor to the ceiling. The only things holding them together were pieces of yellowed paper that said "Seal" on them.

"What is this place?" Naruto asks as he looks around the room, searching for an exit, only to find none. Hearing a loud and very deep chuckle, he flips around, staring at the bars that separate the room. "Who's there?" He shouts.

"**ME!**" Shouts a giant fox as it slams its face into the bars, snapping madly in vain attempts of eating the blonde boy on the opposite side of the bars.

Naruto takes a step back. "Who are you?" His voice is slightly hostile, not exactly sure how he should react.

"**Me? I'm your worst nightmare,**" the fox chuckles evilly.

"Really, who are you?"

"**You're not very smart, are you? I'm the great Kyubi!**"

"But you're dead! The Fourth Hokage killed you!"

"**HA! No mortal can kill a demon! Let alone, one of the bijuu!**"

"So… If you weren't killed, why are you stuck behind bars?" Naruto asks, slightly curious.

"**Your Fourth Hokage sealed me! In you, boy!**"

Any joking personality that Naruto had before that, had left him that moment. "In me?"

"**Yes. In you! I'm sealed inside your stomach!**"

"Damn. That…" Naruto stops to try and think of a word for it, but lamely says, "That sucks…"

"**You know, I thought that you would be a bit more freaked out by this.**"

"Well… You're trapped. What's there to be afraid of?" Naruto says matter-of-factly.

"**Boy, get out of my sight,**" the fox says before turning his back, slightly disappointed at the lack of reaction and peeved at his cage.

* * *

"Sasuke Uchiha, you are charged with assault with the attempt to kill a fellow ninja." The Third speaks in front of the boy and all of the ninja who had witnessed what had happened with Kakashi's boy. "What do you say to this?" He looks straight at the boy, careful not to show too much anger in his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Hokage-sama," Sasuke says clearly.

"Then your judgement will be set by a court of mixed company, both shinobi and civilians. The date is to be set as soon as possible. Dismissed." With a wave from Sarutobi, everybody leaves, including Sasuke.

'_What are we going to do with you, boy? If you're treating others like this now, how would you act if you were placed in a shinobi squad?' _After sighing for a moment, the Third returns to his piles of paperwork.

* * *

Hinata arrives at the hospital quickly and walks up to the desk. "Naruto Uzumaki," she says sternly.

The nurse at the desk looks at the girl a moment before looking at her clipboard. "He was just brought in a little while ago, Miss Hyuga. He's going to be getting medical treatment in just a few minutes. I'm afraid you won't be able to see— Hey! You can't go in there!"

Hinata jogs up the stairs, using her Byakugan to locate her boyfriend's location. On the third floor, she finds him in a room with several doctors and medical ninja surrounding his bed. "Naruto," she exhales.

The boy is pale, an obvious sign of bloodloss. His eyes are closed and his face is without his usual bright smile. He seems lifeless, sitting in the hospital bed, and Hinata notices that the kunai and claws have yet to be removed.

"Excuse me, Miss, but you can't be in here while we perform the procedure. I'm sorry, but I have to ask that you sit out in the hall. There are benches there for you to wait on, though I suggest you go home and get some rest. This will take quite some time," the doctor says, slightly impatient, but polite in his asking.

"I'll wait," Hinata states. The doctor nods in understanding and watches her leave the room before turning back to his co-workers.

* * *

After about an hour, Kiba arrives and sits next to Hinata on the bench. "How is he?"

The purple-haired girl shakes her head. "I don't know. They haven't come out yet and they did say it would take a while." Hinata yawns and Kiba notices.

"You should go to sleep. It's been a long day."

"I can't sleep without a pillow and these benches are so uncomfortable to lay on…" Hinata pouts.

"Then use my shoulder as a pillow. You need sleep."

Hinata can't argue with that, worn out from trying to chase down Sasuke and worrying over her boyfriend's health, and eventually falls asleep with her head on his shoulder. Not too much longer after she falls asleep, Kiba leans his head on hers and falls asleep as well. The kids are, unbeknownst to themselves, being chuckled at by nurses as they pass.

**Its been a couple days (okay, about a week) since we last posted, but please review! We want to know what you think about the story so far! Write soon and write a lot! :)**


	9. Wakey Wakey

"Blah" – Dialogue

'_Blah' – Thoughts_

"Blaaahhhh/_blah_' - Emphasis

For Those I'll Live For

Wakey Wakey

'_God! The bright lights!' _Clutching his eyes from the quite painful sight of white, Naruto shoots upright. _'Wait, blinding light and my chest feeling stiff…Oh no I'm in the hospital again!' _Naruto slowly starts to let light pass through his fingers to see without killing his eyes.

"I see you're awake" a bored and familiar-sounding voice to the left of Naruto spoke.

"Well of course! Nothing can keep me down for long! You should know that by now, Dad."

"True, but you took five puncture wounds, one of them to the chest. Really it's a miracle you're even alive and you're bouncing back after three days. Kami must love you, though why I will never know," said Kakashi, throwing some good-natured sarcasm towards his son.

"I prefer to think that my charm has one Kami over." The fox grin was very clear on Naruto's face.

"Well I better tell the doctor you're up." With that, Kakashi gets up to fetch a doctor in his lazy pace called a walk, leaving his blonde son to his thoughts.

'_Maybe I just dreamt about the Kyubi…..God I hope I dreamt him up. But I can't shake the feeling that it was real.' _

"HEY NARUTO!" Kakashi barges in, yelling.

"Son of a–!" Naruto manages to get out before hitting the floor with a thump. "You!" He says, pointing at his father, "made me jump out of bed!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, son." With an eye-smile, Kakashi lets the doctor pass him to look at the ball of energy. Not finding anything out of the normal, other than Naruto being fully healed, he releases him from the hospital.

"Naruto you know why you were there, right?" Kakashi asked his son, worried about him seeming so happy after a classmate tried to kill him.

"Yeah, that prick Sasuke swapped places with me and I took my own attack. Why?" Naruto spat out with distaste. His anger with Sasuke wasn't being hidden in the least.

"Well you seem so happy and carefree, seemed like you forgot."

"Nah, I'm just going to make him pay for what he did." Naruto stated grimly. His eyes were glaring angrily at his clenched fists.

"Nothing too bad, he is in a lot of trouble for what he did, after all." Kakashi informed his plotting son. He didn't want him to do something he would regret.

"Good."

"HEY NARUTO!" Naruto turned to see who was yelling for him, seeing Kiba followed closely by Hinata. He looked to his father with a silent request. Getting a nod he took off to meet his friend and girlfriend half way.

"Man! How can you be out and about like your fine already?" Kiba howled in disbelief.

"Cause it takes better than that flame lover to take me out for too long," boasted Naruto.

"I was so worried about you!" Hinata exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the blonde idiot.

"It's okay Hinata. You don't have to worry about me. I always come back, even from death's door." Naruto comforted her with the same words his father told him when he was younger.

"I thought I lost you!" Hinata managed to get through sobs.

"Geez, you get emotional." Kiba barked, but gets ignored by Hinata.

Several moments pass as Hinata calms down. Kiba told Naruto everything that happened after Naruto reached the hospital. Sasuke had been brought up on charges of attempted murder, but the charge was lessened because attempted murder was a death sentence. The council wouldn't throw the Sharingan away like that.

"Figures. Pretty boy gets let off without a scratch." Kiba spits out.

"Don't worry, he will get his Kiba." Naruto tells his spiky haired friend.

"Huh?" Kiba replied, but he found he was alone, Naruto scurried away and Hinata had walked off.

Naruto waited for everyone to forget the incident before Sasuke had gotten "his" Naruto and Hinata, one day during lunch, ran into Sakura and Sasuke. The two made out in front of Sasuke's fanclub. Needless to say, the group is now out for Sakura's blood and for Sasuke to explain his actions.

But today Naruto wasn't even thinking about Sasuke. Today was the day of team placement. Nearly the whole class passed. The test was simple to pass. One clone, a hinge, and a taijutsu match. Naruto was disappointed he couldn't show off his ninjutsus, but that didn't matter anymore. All that did was to get put on a team of at least one of his friends.

'_Come on Hinata or Kiba. Hinata or Kiba,' _Naruto chanted repeatedly in his head.

"Class, instead of saying the teams out loud this year you will being going to specific places throughout the city to meet your senseis. Now come up to grab your maps." Iruka told his class of new ninja.

"Really? A scavenger hunt?" Kiba moans. "Such a kid's game…"

"Tch. Troublesome," Shikamaru whispers as he was dragged out the door by Ino.

"HEY! WHO HAS TO GO TO THE ROOF?" Naruto yells to the class, instantly regretting it as Sasuke and Sakura raised their hands, much to his dismay as well as theirs. "Really, Kami? You keep me alive to fuck with me, don't you?" Naruto spoke to air, the remaining class members watching him in confusion.

"Is he insane?" Sakura asks Sasuke.

Sasuke looks at her like a piece of meat at a store, deciding to reply "Shut up."

A few shrieks later the group of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are on the roof waiting for their new sensei. Naruto was holding his racquetball, channeling chakra into it and watching it glow from the power building in it. Sakura couldn't take her eyes off of Sasuke's brooding form. _'God I hate those two, and now I'm stuck on a team with them. The sensei better be worth it or I'm going to go insane.'_

"Yo," came a voice from nowhere.

'_Oh, god damn it, don't tell me that's who I think it is.' _

Kakashi dropped down from the sky, greeting his new students with a smile and a wave. "Seems like we should get to know one another, shouldn't we?" Pointing to the brooding boy. "You're first."

"My name is Sasuke, I want to kill the dumb and my brother."

Now pointing to Sakura. "You."

"I'm Sakura! I like…Sasuke!"

Pointing to Naruto. "Not you."

"HA HA HA HA HA Funny, Dad." Naruto spoke with a sarcastic grin.

"Dad?" Came a stereo cry from the pinkette and the brooder.

"Yup, that's my lazy dad. Can't believe your going to actually take a team! How much did you bet against yourself this time?"

"One-hundred thousand ryo." Kakashi stated with a thumbs up.

"You really have no faith in us?" Sakura questioned with a hint of distress.

"It's my normal bet. Now meet me at training ground 7." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a cloud of dust.

The trio arrived at Training Ground 7 in a matter of minutes. The area was loosely in a rectangle shape, with trees surrounding it and a river cutting through it at one of the far ends. Three training posts were the only man made thing in the entire field.

"Man, what a boring spot. Could have picked something with, I don't know, a big rock for scenery." Naruto cried as he looked around his father's choice of grounds.

"No complaining. Now, you three have thirty minutes to get these bells from me." Kakashi spoke from his hiding spot somewhere in the grounds. Sasuke only smirked at the challenge. Sakura looked around franticly trying to find the silver haired teacher. Naruto flew through hand seals muttering "**Zanzou no Jutsu**"

Naruto's new teammates stared in awe as he took off towards the tree in the center of the field, moving so fast his body seemed to blur. Reaching the tree, Naruto slammed his fist into it, causing the tree to shake. With a smirk he was off in a new direction, this time in a zig-zag pattern in Sasuke's direction.

"What do you think you're doing Naruto!" Sasuke shouts at his approaching teammate.

With a smirk Naruto sped with a burst of speed. Inches from Sasuke, Naruto slams his fist into the ground at his feet. "God your dumb, Naruto. You wasted all that energy." Sakura berated him.

Kakashi popped out from the earth between the three and the tree rubbing his head and muttering ouch over and over. Naruto dashed to fight his father with his new teammates hot on his tail. The silver haired man lowered into the academy's fighting stance.

Sasuke, thinking purely about beating a strong opponent to prove his strength, throws several kunai aimed to kill Kakashi. Thinking quick, Naruto tossed one of his seal kunai in the midst of Sasuke's. Kakashi easily batted away the incoming objects, catching the last one which happened to be Naruto's. Noticing the engraved seals too late, Kakashi gets hit in the face by a fist emanating from one of the glowing symbols.

'_How?' _Kakashi wondered, only to get hit in the leg by Sasuke in his wonderment. Taking the advantage, Sasuke drove his fist into the downed man as hard as his body could. Smirking at what had to be the defeat of a jonin, Sasuke quickly turned, furious, as his teacher had turned into a log with a cloud of smoke and splintered.

'_These kids really aren't playing around, guess I have to take it up a notch.' _Kakashi realized as he slipped into the cover of the trees and foliage.

"Losers go away, you have no hope of winning. Let the great and powerful Uchiha take it from here." With that, the brooder of the group bolted in the direction of where Kakashi was last seen.

"Man, what a jerk!" Naruto yelled, his face a clear indicator that Sasukes arrogance had gotten too him.

"Don't talk about Sasuke like that!" Sakura screeched as she followed her beloved.

Watching her chase after Sasuke, Naruto realized something. _'That's going to be the death of her one day, blindly following someone who would gladly throw her away for his own gain.' _Picking up his seal kunai that punched his father earlier, Naruto grinned. _'To think all I had to do was seal some __**Kage Bunshin**__ in this and it makes it one of the most unpredictable weapons ever.' _Marveling over his ingenious Naruto sat down waiting for his team to be chased back to his vicinity.

Sasuke was searching for his target Kakashi when he found his shirt pinned to the tree he just landed on by a kunai. Looking around for the person who threw the projectile at him, he came across a man reading an orange book. He pulled out the kunai that pinned his shirt to the tree to blindly toss it at the man. Kakashi sidestepped the kunai, never looking up from his book.

Sasuke jumped at him in a flying spin kick, only to miss because of a second side step. Agitated, Sasuke flung his limbs wildly at Kakashi in hopes of a lucky hit. Kakashi danced between the flailing limbs, still never looking up from his book.

"What! She wouldn't." Kakashi said in shock to his book.

Sasuke, driven by pure rage, doubled over to do several hand signs out of his teacher's sight. As he straightened up, he held his hands to his lips whispering "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu**" breathing out a large fire ball point blank on the older man. **

**Sasuke watched as the man's form was devoured by his flames with a twisted smile, which evaporated as soon as the human form turned into a puddle. "**Mizu Bunshin**. Damn, where is he? I need to beat him." **

"**Sasuke! That was amazing!" Spoke the cotton candy haired girl from behind a bush. Sasuke, ignoring her, took off to find his target once more.**

"**Naruto you know you're supposed to actually try, right?" Kakashi asked quizzically to his son.**

"**Yeah but I can't beat you by myself, so I decided to wait for my so called team to realize they can't win alone." Naruto answered with a sly smile.**

"**Makes sense, I gue–" Kakashi got cut off as he snatched a shuriken out of the air. "Now that is just rude." **

**Sasuke ran into the field from the tree line carrying multiple weapons in his hands, Sakura right behind him and looking ready to pass out from exertion. Naruto took this as a chance to reason with his team and ran to intercept them halfway.**

"**Out of my way loser!" Sasuke said sternly as he tried to shove Naruto out of his way, only to push himself back. **

"**No, we can't beat him by ourselves. We need to work as a team to beat him." Informed Naruto.**

"**It makes sense Sasuke, even if it is coming from Naruto." Agreed Sakura. **

**With a "Hn" from Sasuke, the group came up with a quick plan to take the bells from the unstoppable force that is Kakashi. Reactivating his ****Zanzou no Jutsu,** Naruto ran to attack his father from the front. Sasuke ran around to attack from behind, Sakura made as man regular clones as she could to attack from the right side. The three had employed a three point pincer move on their sensei.

'_Clever, if I do say so myself.' _Kakashi thought with a smile on his face. Getting ready for the move his teacher once used on his team, Kakashi lowered down with both hands ready to redirect his attackers moves.

Sakura made it to Kakashi first and was redirected to the ground, causing her to roll a couple yards away. As Naruto got within yards of his target, Kakashi felt a chakra spike from behind. _'Another fireball?' _Kakashi thought as he was about to use substitution to dodge it. _'Crap! Naruto is too close! He will be killed if he gets hit with that!' _Kakashi braced himself for what would certainly be a world of pain.

"**Yoreki no Jutsu!**" Shouted Naruto as Kakashi was drenched in water, leaving a shocked and freezing sensei. He turned to see the Naruto he was protecting "die" as it popped into a cloud of smoke.

"Always use your opponents weakness against him." Naruto informed his father like a teacher to small child. "You wanted to protect me, so we used that against you. You know as well as we do that would have left you unable to fight us off anymore. Now be a good guy and hand over the bells."

Kakashi sighed and tossed one to Sakura and one to Sasuke. "You two pass."

"Wait what do you mean 'you TWO pass'" Naruto nearly shouts.

"Well, Naruto, you passed when you told me your plan under the tree." Kakashi explained. "You see teamwork is our greatest strength. With it, you three Genin nearly took down a Jonin. Now you three are dismissed while I go and inform the Hokage that you all passed." His voice trailing off as he vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"Yeah! We passed! WOOHOO!" Naruto hollered as he danced around in joy. Sakura shook her head at him but was smiling all the while. Even Sasuke had a smirk on his face over his teammates antics.

"Hokage-sama, Team 7 has passed. But I request that Naruto be moved to a different group." Kakashi said as he leapt through the village leader's window into the Thirds neat and orderly office.

"I'm glad they passed Kakashi, but why do you want to switch your son out? I figured you would love to have him as a student." The Third questioned.

"It's not him, it's that Sasuke's on his team."

"Oh I see, I didn't want him to be, but since you have the only other Sharingan the council pushed it. But why then do you want Naruto switched if Sasuke is the problem?"

"Because I have never seen him act aggressively to anyone like that. He let him and Sakura blindly chase after me, not once did he try to help them. He waited until they had the fight beaten out of them before trying to help."

"I see, that is a rather strange behavior for the boy."

"I don't think so, I mean I wouldn't be nice to a boy who tried to kill me with my own attack either."

"True, true, but I can't change it until there is no other choice. I'm sorry Kakashi."

"Understood Hokage-sama, I just figured I would try before we get to that point."

With a quick bow of respect, Kakashi was out of the Third's office headed for home to talk to Naruto about his actions earlier, leaving the old man to think about the events that will come to pass from this team assignment.

"I hope this won't end like I think it will." He muttered as he sat down to finish some paperwork.

On his way back to his home from training ground seven Naruto ran into the one person he wanted to see the most. "Hey Hinata! Did your team pass?" Shouted the blonde boy as he ran up to his beloved girlfriend.

Hinata turned around at the sound of Naruto's voice with a small smile. When he got to he,r she decided to reply instead of shouting like he seemed to love. "Yeah, but all we had to do was track down our sensei Kurenai Yuhi. Who is your new sensei?"

Naruto's face nearly split from the smile that was now adorning it. "My father, of course, but he made us fight him to pass."

Hinata giggled at Naruto's over exaggerations as he told her how his teams test went. Every time Naruto explained something to her, he used his hands and made his own sound effects to better illustrate the story, making people near him think he was insane.

As the couple started to walk down the road towards their homes Naruto realized he didn't know who was on Hinata's team. "Hinata, who do you have as teammates?"

"Kiba and Shino, why?" Hinata asked.

"Just curious, though I am glad you have those two on your team. They can protect you if something really bad happens." Naruto grins at his own statement. Hinata could only smile at Naruto's first thoughts about her teammates, always thinking of her first.

Arriving at the Hyuga household, Hinata bid farewell to Naruto with a small kiss. As the blonde strolled lazily down the street he felt his head start to pound. Looking behind him he saw a man with a bat, taking what he could guess was a second swing at his head. Grabbing the bat as it was swung, Naruto heard a familiar popping sound. _"Great. Something either broke or popped out of place.'_

Grabbing the man by his shirt, Naruto flexed his hand that had popped. Pain raced through his arm but he could feel his hand moving. _'Good it just popped out of place' _Reaching back, Naruto swung on the man that had assaulted him only to be hit again in the head and knocked over. Naruto looked up to see two men standing over him with blunt weapons.

"Monster" was the only word he heard before his world went black.

Naruto awoke to see he was in the same sewer he was in when he had his nightmare. _'Must just be a coincidence.'_ He thought as he walked down the now familiar halls until he reached the giant cage that held the Kyubi.

"Hey fox, are you in really there or is this one really fucked up coincidence?" Shouted Naruto to the darkness behind the cages bars.

"**Boy I assure you this is no coincidence. I really am trapped inside you and you really are my prison." **A booming voice resonated in the air. A shape started to be seen from the other side of the bars. A fox head the size of a medium building was now visible.** "You really don't know how to defend yourself do you?" **

"I can too defend my self!" Naruto shouted at the fox.

**"Then why are you here again from a beating?"**

"Because I don't want to hurt the villagers!"

"**They don't seem to have a problem hurting you. Maybe it's time for some payback." **The fox let out a terrifying toothy smile.

"No. I am better than something like that." Naruto declared in defiance.

"**Humans have such a diluted mind set."**

"I'm leaving." Naruto turned, leaving the fox behind him.

Feeling something like a kick to the chest, Naruto woke up, seeing the two men that hit him with the blunt objects in a dark ally. One man was lighting a lighter in complicated and flashy ways, the other was reaching for some kind of canister.

'_What are they going to do?' _thought the beaten blonde before it hit him. Managing a meek "No." He was covered in flammable oil. The other man flicked his lighter towards him. Naruto watched it flip in the air coming ever closer.

Something pulsed through his body, something he rarely had to this extent; anger. The boy's once deep blue eyes lost their color, replaced with blood-red, animalistic eyes. "**I SAID NO.**" He spoke in a commanding voice as the flame hit the oil lighting him on fire, only to be replaced with water which washed the oil from him but did not put out the flames now surrounding him.

The boy looked at his attackers in a new light, the light of his death by flames being cast upon him. **"No more forgiveness for you,**" he said with death hanging off his every word. One man charged at Naruto with his bat while the other searched for a weapon. The charging man was stopped as he prepared to strike. Naruto plunged a kunai through his throat and into his spine, gripping the kunai hard enough to deform the handle.

"**Filth,**" Naruto spat out as he pulled his kunai free with a squelch. He now turned his sights on the second man. Walking through the oil fire like it wasn't even there, the remaining man screamed in terror as a kunai was stopped centimeters from his face.

"Naruto that's enough." Kakashi spoke holding his sons arm from killing the man with great difficulty.

"**No, he will pay.**" Naruto spoke with malice on his tongue. The man turned to run as Naruto's free hand flicked something into his hair. The man made it to the end of the corner when Naruto released his kunai **"Jiseki," **spoken more like a boast then an attack. The dropped kunai started to glow as it shot off after the man and around the corner. A scream soon followed.

"Naruto! What are you doing!" Kakashi yelled as he looked his son in the eyes, noticing the blood-red eyes of the kyubi instead of his son's blue ocean eyes. "Naruto, you have to calm down."

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly opening his eyes and revealing that they were back to their original blue. "Can we go home?" Naruto asked with dishevel in his voice.

"Sure." Kakashi said as he patted his son's head.

As the pair walked through the door, Naruto tried to make a bee light for his room, but his father caught him and told him to go into the living room to explain what exactly happened. After explaining the whole event, excluding the Kyubi, his father understood why and what happened.

"Well, it seems you where indeed defending yourself, so you're not in trouble, but you are going to learn how to escape situations like that more often, got it?" Kakashi sternly told his son, leaving him no room to argue and sending him to bed. _'I can't believe the pure hatred and bloodlust he was giving of. It was like __**it**__ all over again.'_

Naruto was staring at his ceiling _'I wonder if I can contact it willingly.' _He sat up and started concentrating on where he had met the Kyubi. His world sped by like it was moving at the speed of light, being replaced by darkness. A small light appeared to be rapidly approaching. Naruto found himself in front of a familiar cage.

"Hey fur face! You awake?" Naruto shouted, hoping to get the fox's attention.

"**How could anyone sleep with your chalkboard of a voice yelling?" **The fox inquired as its face became visible.

"My voice isn't that bad!"

"**I beg to differ, if you were alive when I attacked, I would have ran away at the sound of your voice. It truly is a fate worse than hell."**

"Funny. Was that you that boosted my power today?"

"**You tapped into my power, yes"**

"Any chance you're willing to give me some of that permanently?" Naruto asked with a pleading

face.

"**If you're willing to offer something in return."**

"What?"

"**I have been trapped in this body for far too long, I want to have my senses back. I will give you some of my power permanently if you allow me access to your senses."**

"Define access."

"**Smart boy. I want to see and to hear again. That's it."**

"Two things I'll add. In return for your level of hearing and sense of smell you can have the sense of touch as well, but I mean both good and bad. I don't want you to leave something out and I get injured because you find it funny."

"**Seems like a fair trade. Anything you want to ask before it's too late?"**

"Yeah, will it alter my physical appearance?"

"**No."**

"Will your chakra be infused with mine or a separate thing I can access?"

"**Both, it will be a separate chakra in your body that you will be able to access until it is completely turned into your own chakra."**

"Deal."

"**Good. Now it's time you awaken."**

"Huh? It's only been an hour max!" Naruto yelled as he sat up in his bed. "Whoa! He wasn't kidding! It's nine o clock!" He jumped off his bed and got dressed as fast as he could, not forgetting to put his necklace with his prized kunai on. Jumping down his stairs he jetted off to meet his team at the training ground, bumping into Kiba walking with Hinata on his way. "Hey guys."

"Hey man! Glad to hear your team passed." Kiba spoke through a toothy grin.

"Psh, I wasn't worried I am a first class soldier after all. I didn't think you would pass until I found out Hinata was on your team. I feel sorry that she has to pick up the slack brought on by you." Naruto jabbed at Kiba before realizing he was going to be late and taking off in a sprint before Kiba could retort.

Rounding the corner to the training field, Naruto could see Sakura and Sasuke sitting under a tree waiting for Kakashi. Approaching the two with a goofy grin he asked, "Dad's late again, huh?"

"Don't tell me this is a habit of his." Sakura threatened.

"Sorry but it is." Naruto got ready to run at a moment's notice.

"Yo." Lazy words from a lazy man waving to greet his students. "You three will be doing a mission today, now let's go to the Hokage Tower."

Kakashi led his students down the roads. Naruto was trying to ignore the glares from the towns people. They all blamed him for killing the two men, believing he attacked them not the other way around. Sasuke ignored the negative attention Naruto was getting while Sakura was completely oblivious to anyone besides Sasuke.

Arriving at the Hokage's office, Naruto could barely restrain from lashing out at someone because of the looks they were giving him. Kakashi put his hand on his son's shoulders to keep him calm as they ascended the stairs to see the Third.

"Ah team seven, glad you could make it. You're mission today is to fetch a few missing animals, a cat, dog, bird, and even a nin-dog in training has taken off. The details are in the scroll Kakashi has, dismissed." The Third said in a thunderous voice that has withered over time.

"First up is the cat: Brown, Blue ribbon, Loves fish, Has a temper, Is terrified of loud noises. Now team lets go find this cat shall we?" Team seven left the Thirds office and goes towards the sushi shop near the owner's house.

"Do we really have to find this cat? Can't we say it was eaten by a dog?" Naruto asked Kakashi.

"Yes we do. Why do you hate cats anyway?" Kakashi wonders.

"Simple! They don't like me!" Naruto exclaimed.

Just as Naruto picked up a box, the cat in question ran out and towards its continued freedom. Naruto dives for the cat along with Sasuke who ends up catching the cat only to hold it in Naruto's face to get clawed.

"SON OF A BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU SASUKE!" Naruto screamed as he tried to pummel Sasuke, only to be held back by Kakashi.

"God. How many more missions like this do we have to do?" Naruto whined.

"About three months." Kakashi informed.

Sasuke started to stare at the sky saying only one word. "Fuck."

"Whoa wait a minute. Did he just show a real emotion?" Bug eyed Naruto questioned. "Hell must have frozen over." This comment earned him a hit over the head from a very agitated Sakura.

The D-rank missions continued for three months, every member complaining along the way. Kakashi began to take missions on his free time to give his life some of the old action he once had. Chasing cats just wouldn't cut it for the ex-ANBU member.

**Well I know it has been a while but I didn't forget the story.**


End file.
